CHANCELLOR’S BIG DREAMS FOR EMCU

EMCU class of 2018 bows out in style

MANZINI – For the past six years, working out the budget of EMCU has been challenging as squaring a circle.

This sums up the speech of Eswatini Medical Christian University (EMCU) Chancellor Chun Yoon about the six years of the institution’s existence in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

However, Yoon, who was speaking with the voice of Vice Chancellor In Whan Kim during the second graduation ceremony of the institution, said he was proud that they overcame the challenges and produced graduates who would be foot soldiers of the health sector in the country and beyond.
The graduation ceremony was held at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday and a total of 238 graduates graduated.

The chancellor said EMCU was a young institution with humble beginnings but big dreams. He said they were appreciative of the partnership they had with government but the level of subvention they received for operations was low.

Salaries

He said this made it difficult to pay competitive salaries, including benefits, and to attract highly qualified academic staff. “Over the six years of our existence, working out the budget of the institution has been as challenging as squaring a circle,” the chancellor said.

However, he said having been given a new lease of life by the Ministry of Education and Training, through the second memorandum of agreement (MoA), they were humbly looking forward to an increased subvention that would enable them to operate the university more efficiently and productively.

Furthermore, Yoon said there was a need to improve their facilities, particularly laboratory and library space. He said it was for this reason that the African Continent Mission and Pastor Chong Yang Kim took it upon themselves to once again engage in a fundraising drive for construction of laboratories of Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Science, among other faculties.

“The institution is also exploring various avenues for raising funds for the construction of students’ hostels as the present arrangement is not suitable for their boarding and lodging is not acceptable,” Yoon said.

challenges

He said these were but few of their major challenges, which they were sparing no effort to address as they were striving to go full steam ahead and work towards the realisation of His Majesty’s dream for the country of attaining first world status by 2022. He said they aim to do this by making their contribution in training professionals with a difference for the health sector.

On another note, the chancellor said under the wise leadership of the King, the country recently held peaceful Parliamentary elections that were judged to be free and fair by internal and international observers. “This is uncommon in many counties today,” he said.

the chancellor said through successful negotiations by the government, Eswatini was once again enjoying the trade benefits made possible by the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the United States of America (USA), which was creating jobs for the citizens.

Furthermore, Yoon said the country had learned with a sigh of relief that the sector had taken great strides in the fight against pandemic HIV/AIDS as evidenced by the declining number of new infections.  

Recognition

Still, in the health sector, the chancellor said the Kingdom had earned international recognition for it’s in the elimination of malaria and was accorded chairmanship of the Africa Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA).

“These achievements and many others are close to our hearts in that we are producing foot soldiers in health care who will join relevant sections in the country and beyond,” the chancellor said.

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