EducationUSA 2012 College Fair

24 January 2012

Peace Corps Volunteer engaging various students at the College Fair

Over 50 colleges and universities from the United States were represented at this year’s EducationUSA College Fair on Saturday, January 21 at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.  Hundreds of Malawian students aspiring to pursue higher education in the U.S. interacted with U.S. Embassy staff, Peace Corps Volunteers and other alumni of U.S. colleges for information and advice on how they can pursue their academic goals.

In opening the fair, U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer Benjamin Canavan said the U.S. Government is dedicated to ensuring Malawians attain education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. He described how the U.S. Mission supports Malawians who want to pursue higher education in the U.S. through advice on applications, testing, identifying programs and financial aid.  As President Barack Obama has said: “We’re going to keep helping empower African youth -- supporting education, increasing educational exchanges. . . The world needs your talents and your creativity.”

In the 2010/2011 academic year there were almost 300 Malawian students at U.S. universities.  Canavan said Malawian students studying in the U.S. get exposed to global skills necessary to offer solutions to development challenges in the country.  In return, U.S. students can appreciate the diverse history and culture of Malawi and Africa through interacting with students from Malawi.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology John Bisika said higher education is a leading instrument for promoting economic growth in countries like Malawi.  He praised the fair as a window for Malawian students to gain information on how they can access quality education in the U.S.