Malawi is preparing to host the 2026 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX 2026) starting July 15 at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe. According to Nyasa Times, over 600 education leaders, policymakers, and researchers from more than 40 African countries are convening to assess collective progress toward ending learning poverty on the continent by 2035. The three-day conference aims to move beyond broad commitments and focus on measurable results and the scaling of effective educational solutions.
In higher education, the University of Malawi (UNIMA) and the Roads Fund Administration have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on research, innovation, and infrastructure development. Announced by the university on July 13, the partnership is designed to bridge academic training and industry practice. UNIMA Vice-Chancellor Professor Samson Sajidu stated the agreement will provide students with industrial attachments, collaborative supervision, and opportunities to address national road infrastructure challenges through practical engineering projects.
Primary and secondary schools in Malawi will also see increased support through regional and domestic initiatives. TechAfrica News reports that Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar has announced plans to connect 5,000 schools across its operating markets, including Malawi, to free internet by 2027 in an effort to boost digital learning access.
Update: In an expansion of national school feeding initiatives, the Ministry of Education and the World Food Programme have officially targeted reaching 1.4 million primary school children across all 28 districts, according to SDGTalking. Parallel to this, the Malawi Freedom Network reports that the Mary's Meals charity programme has grown to serve over 1.3 million learners across 1,296 schools nationwide.