Friday, March 29, 2024

UNZA gets new Vice Chancellor

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New UNZA Vice Chancellor Prof Luke Mumba
New UNZA Vice Chancellor Prof Luke Mumba

Professor Luke Evuta Mumba has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia (UNZA) with effect from 1 July 2016.

Professor Mumba comes from the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) in South Africa. Between 2012 and 2016 he was a Programme Coordinator for the African Science Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative of NEPAD.

He was the first Regional Director for the NEPAD Southern African Network for Biosciences (SANBio) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Centre (CSIR), in Pretoria, South Africa between 2006 and 2012.

Prior to that between 1995-2004, Pro Mumba served in the School of Natural Sciences at UNZA as Dean, Head of Department and as Assistant Dean.

Prof Mumba has an academic career spanning over 25 years, emerging as a Staff Development Fellow (SDF) in the Department of Biology in 1985 and progressing through the ranks to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer up to Associate Professorship in 2005.

He has also received recognition as an Extraordinary Associate Professor in the Department of Botany & Zoology of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa between 2012 and 2014.

Prof Mumba holds a Doctorate Degree in Biology (Genetics) from University of Cambridge (1994); a Master’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from the University of Wales, UK, (1987); and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology & Chemistry from UNZA (1985).

He has been a recipient of four international research fellowships and awards (British ODA Fellowship, Beit Trust Fellowship; UNESCO Fellowship; and the Rodger Gilbert Memorial Prize Award).

He has presented, researched and written widely on genetics, biotechnology and on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in general.

He has contributed to the development of STI strategies and policies at national, regional and continental levels in Africa.

Prof Mumba is currently a member of the African Union Commission (AUC) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Committee on the “Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa” (STISA-2024).

An alumni of Kafue Boys Secondary School (1976-80), he attained his primary education at Bayuni, Chilanga and Munkolo primary schools in Lusaka between 1969 and 1975.

Prof Mumba is married and has one daughter and two sons.

Meanwhile, University of Zambia workers have gone on a go slow after the expiry of an ultimatum issued to Government to pay them their June salaries.

Yesterday, the three Unions representing UNZA workers issued a statement in which they threatened that they will down tools if Government fails to pay their delayed June salaries by mid night.

34 COMMENTS

  1. In UK even South Africa a person with such a CV cannot even be trusted to head kindergarten school

    • Welcome back to intimidation, hence forth ye seaseth to be intellectual with Lungu Midiocrity politicing everything at higher level education…starting with funding as your number 2 problem, after political intimidation being number one..Good luck though

    • A kindergarten is much more important than a University. It prepares the future University student so he can be a good student so he can turn out to be a good leader. That foundation is very important

    • who told you fool? you are a bufoon to make such a silly statement.. maybe your daddy never went to kindergarten

    • Congrats but this is a poisoned chalice. Drink from it early so that your hopes are shattered. Unza has never been a proper University from inception. It is a hothouse that grows politicians. That’s why half the time it is closed and all the time it is underfunded. You will very quickly find out that you have wasted your career because Unza will be your Waterloo.

    • @Timwenge Tawaumwange:
      Stop lying you mother fuc.ker! Why would such a hugely rich degree make you untrustworthy in the UK? I think you forgot to take your ARVs and started hallucinating. In fact such CV in the UK would have earned the Prof a pool consultancies a better role in Society than the Vice Chancellorship.
      Nonetheless, well done Professor – those are rewards of Kaunda’s FREE EDUCATION. Vote wisely, vote UPND for free Education in Zambia.

    • @Reason, i total agree with you. This gentleman will not run this institution because he lacks business acumen.He is just a scientist who needs to continue researching and exploring in the laboratories and not managing an institution such as UNZA. The institution needs to generate money.

  2. The usual “He will fail because he has no MBA” being spouted.
    Nonsense!! What load of Rooobish!!!
    There are successful Vice Chancellors from science backgrounds running world class universities. People are still living in old times where an MBA was highly regarded. Those days are gone baba. There are even MBAs from Copperstone these days, not forgetting those issued by MANCOSA

  3. Well done Prof. Mumba. You can give it a go from your wide partnership experiences and broad horizons.

    • Why do you say that? There is no point posting stuff without backing facts…let’s educate each other people!!

  4. Just start applying for a new job cause you will be jobless come August 15 ,2016.Ask what happened to Mr Mtonga in 2011 at FRA.The man was only in office for only 3 months ,than fired by Sata after elections ,as he also come from South Africa.President HH will fire this man for being a PF carder.Please convey this warning to him please,take up this job at your own risk.

  5. good to know that he is a product of kaboss,went to the same school 10 years later.wish u all the best.

  6. I know the professor very well,he taught me the genetics component for BS111 In 2006 just a few months before he left for SA.Smart guy,i wish him the best.

  7. Praise be to God! for once i have seen an educated PF cadre.Not those Ngosa,Kambwili,Banda with online degrees and copperstone degrees.This one his credentials sound sober but,unfortunately,he is been appointed by Emmanuel Mwamba from his embassy in South Africa.And besides,even a grade nine can tell you that this guy cant manage a company or an institution,His experience clearly outlines that he is a research expert and more of a Charitable organisation member and contributer,He cant be entrusted to lead an institution especially one that needs a full renovation and recapitalization.He has no experience in fundraising and management as he has spent all his life in a lab.and UNZA is not a laboratory.

  8. Yes, but this has nothing to do with Dr. Mumba. It’s mediocre reporting.., nonetheless, if you have heard of Pubmed, Researcggate, Linkedin, etc.., try his name you will have his academic accomplishment. I will do just that after this.., but I had to defend the man from unwarranted attack!

  9. CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER PROF MUMBA IS A WELL EDUCATED MAN AND I HOPE HE CAN HELP TRANSFORM UNZA FEOM ITS OVER DEPENDENCE ON GOVERNMENT. ” ELO MWAI POSA MUFYABILAUKA!!!” LOL LESA AMIPALE BA PROFESSOR.

  10. Right Man,but wrong job.Professor are just never good leaders.They dont anything else other than what their prefessorship.And this is where the big problem is.This Mumba guy,if however he does well,all he ll develop is the school of medicine and biology.Because biology is all he knows.He doesnt value anything else.As a result other Facults will suffer to death,with no attention and development.This position suits better a school of Business lecturer or a Business Management Degree holder.Someone that understands administration well,Student management, Fundraising and mobilisation.And from Mr Mumba’s credentials,none of these traits are known to him.So,just how the hell is this Professor going to make UNZA a success?

  11. Think Emmanuel Mwamba as Ambassador in South Africa and suddenly we ve people moving from South Africa coming back to grab quick jobs on sale.It began with Mvunga(this guy lived in South Africa half of his life)and now,We have Professor Mumba. Emmanuel Mwamba at work.Expect more redundant South African based PF cadres to join you at the expense of suitable local based talents.We need answers:1.What happened to the previous chancellor?was he fired,retired or resigned?what exactly happened before you smear us with the news of new chancellor.We haved heard of any wrong doing by the UNZA chancellor,but all of a sudden he is replaced.

  12. GREAT CHOICER FOR A VICE CHANCELOR, PROF. LUKE EVUTA MUMBA LECTURED ME IN FIRST YEAR BS111 AND A FATHER FIGURE HE WAS.

  13. Those of you questioning the capability of a scientists to manage UNZA, have you checked the professions of past VCs? Only Robert-Psychologist was not a scientist in the past 2 or so decades and his reign was one of the waste performing. Prof. Mutale-Engineer and DVC: Dr. Mwenya-Biometrician, Prof. Simukanga-Engineer. Through all these managers, UNZA has not been stagnant, in fact it has been thriving taking into consideration that as a public university can not do business as Lusangu, Pagrory, copperstone and Cavendish do. UNZA is not for profit institution, its an academic institution and thus needs someone who has respect for academics to run it, not profits.

  14. Big Congrats to you Prof. Mumba, A humble man-Father Figure. I remember attending your class in 2005-BS 111.

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