The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) has a new Director of Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL). Dr. Vincent Mgoli Mwale took up the role effective 1st November 2026.

Dr. Mgoli Mwale is a senior expert in Horticultural Crops Pathology in the Department of Horticulture at LUANAR. He holds a PhD in Agriculture, specialising in Plant Pathology, from the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, China. He also holds a Master of Science in Agronomy, specialising in Plant Breeding, and a BSc in Agriculture, majoring in Crop Science, both from the University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture.

He brings to the Directorate extensive experience in academic leadership, institutional management, research coordination, resource mobilisation and project implementation. Before his appointment as Director of ODeL, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, where he coordinated research, outreach, consultancy and academic programmes. He also served as Acting Deputy College Director of LUANAR in 2023. His leadership experience spans strategic planning, budget management, stakeholder engagement, quality assurance and curriculum development. He is also the current Chair of Council for Mwimba College of Agriculture, an upcoming agricultural college under the Agricultural Research and Extension Trust (ARET).

Dr. Mgoli Mwale has led and contributed to several nationally and regionally funded projects supported by organisations such as the MasterCard Foundation, the World Bank, the Royal Kingdom of Norway, the African Union and African Parks Limited. He currently serves as Team Lead for LUANAR’s Agri-food Systems and Entrepreneurship Development of Maize and Soybean Value Chains Project under the TAGDev 2.0 programme. He has authored and co-authored scientific publications and contributed to agricultural research, innovation and community outreach.

Dr. Mgoli Mwale is passionate about academic excellence, institutional development and expanding access to higher education. He is committed to strengthening the delivery of Open, Distance and eLearning programmes and building collaborative partnerships.

In his new role, he aims to strengthen the Directorate’s institutional capacity and increase access to quality ODeL learning opportunities that advance LUANAR’s mandate.

For further engagement, email odl@luanar.ac.mw.