NEWS:

22 Jul, 2016


Aswan Cultural Troupe performing at the event
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Vincent Ghambi has emphasized on the need of investing in culture in order to promote social and economic development.

This was said on Tuesday 19th July during a Public Lecture on New Egypt at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) as part of the Second Egyptian Cultural Week in Malawi which started on 17th July and will end on 26th July 2016.

According to the Deputy Minister Culture can be a major source for social and economic innovation and development and it can contribute to the welfare of the citizens of the country.

“Across the globe where sound investments in the arts and culture have been made, economic growth has frequently followed, bringing investment and jobs,” he said.

He said this has brought new skills and abilities that increase confidence and self-esteem, improve literacy and enhance a community’s quality of life saying if a country is to have a prosperous future in an increasingly competitive world, then its economy requires innovators and artistic creativity is a central part of this.

Hon. Ghambi further said culture has the capacity to help foster the international connections that are avital for the nations.

“Throughout history, relationships between countries have often been improved by means of cultural exchange and celebrations. The arts can reach places that traditional diplomacy cannot,” said Hon. Ghambi.

In his remarks, LUANAR Vice Chancellor, Professor George Kanyama Phiri thanked the Egyptian Ambassador to Malawi for choosing LUANAR for the public lecture saying the function would lead to greater things to come.

“We are particularly looking forward to greater support from Egyptian Universities in the area of Veterinary Medicine where we lack expertise,” he said.

He further said LUANAR will look forward to the development of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to guide in the staff student exchange, joint research and outreach among other things.

Egyptian Ambassador to Malawi, H.E Maher El-Adawy hailed Malawians for the support of the Second Egyptian Cultural Week in Malawi saying his country will continue to work Malawi.

“It was a great welcome and it was nice to see the two Egyptian professors interacting with the students and also the dancing troupe to engage high officials. Thank you Malawi for the support,” he said.

He further urged Africans to take culture seriously saying culture is a good starting point for cooperation.

“We are very proud Africans and we can corporate together, we know about our problems and we know how to move forward and the only way that we want to do this is to cooperate more and more. This is what Egypt wants to do with its brothers and sisters in Africa,” said H.E El-Adawy.


Cooperation between the two countries has extended to various sectors of the economy including agriculture, trade, media, health, security and recently culture among others.


Written By: Patricia Nkhoma