Kagem renews UNZA partnership with USD172,500 scholarship programme
Kagem Mining Ltd has committed USD172,500 worth of funding for scholarships for University of Zambia (UNZA) mining and geology students following its renewal of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the university.
The MoU intends to enhance the emerald mine’s commitment to collaborating with educational institutions on matters related to training, research, and human resource development in the mining sector.
Present at the MoU signing ceremony was UNZA Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Anne Sikwibele, who hailed the gesture saying it demonstrated Kagem’s dedication to facilitating local participation in the mining sector.
“The renewed financing from Kagem is also a demonstration of our strong partnership aimed at providing excellent opportunities to expose students to the industry work culture. In this way, we can be sure that when students graduate, they are better prepared to start working at mining companies,” said Prof. Sikwibele.
The Acting VC thanked the Lufwanyama-based mine for its desire to work with the university and urged the School of Mines to derive other benefits from the MoU that would see innovative development for the gemstone sector.
Kagem Board Chairman Dr Sixtus Mulenga noted the scarcity of mining engineers and geologists in the country and hoped the scholarship programme would encourage local young people to take on careers in the two fields.
“The mine is working on a plan to develop a state-of-the-art vocational training institution in Lufwanyama where we will be able to develop hands-on skills for local young people. It is against that background that we, as a board, decided to extend the MoU,” he added.
The chairman said that Kagem hopes to partner with UNZA and use the university’s facilities to conduct research in geology mining that would help the mine’s team of experts find solutions to some of its existing problems.
Dr Mulenga went on to urge UNZA students to apply for industrial attachments at the emerald mine to gain experience that would aid them when they join the industry.
Meanwhile, UNZA School of Mines Head of Department Dr Kawawa Banda shared his hope that the partnership will expand to academic staff, allowing them to offer the mine their expertise in mining engineering.
Kagem first partnered with UNZA in 2015, which culminated in a scholarship programme that ran until earlier this year, seeing some sponsored students also gain employment at Kagem upon their graduation.
