CCG Scoping Mission in Malawi
In 2025, the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) project added Malawi as a new partner country. In anticipation of this kicking off in April, Jon, Luke, and I had the opportunity to join other CCG researchers on a scoping mission to Malawi.
Scoping missions provide researchers with an opportunity to meet and get to know key actors in government ministries, academia, and civil society across areas relevant to their research while identifying potential academic partners for future collaborations. For us, that meant critical materials. As one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi has a unique development opportunity in the extraction of new critical materials —specifically graphite and other rare earth metals— which could help bring in much-needed foreign exchange. However, development is also constrained by a lack of energy, poor transport links, and the need for more in-house expertise.
We spent time in Lilongwe (the capital city) meeting with government ministries and in Blantyre (the cultural and business capital). In Blantyre, we met with two of the largest universities in Malawi: MUST (the Malawi University of Science and Technology) and MUBAS (the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences). Both universities were conducting impressive and relevant work; however, we were particularly struck by the work being done at MUST.
Image: Left to right: Dr Wilfred Kadewa, Dr Priscilla Maliwichi, Dr Chinagorom Ajike, Dr John Taulo, Dr Lara Allen, Prof Jonathan Cullen, Sam Stephenson, Luke Cullen, Engineering Lecturer from MUST, Dr Richard Nkhoma, Raj Bhavsar.
It would be impossible to travel to Malawi without experiencing some of its incredible nature and wildlife, so we travelled back from Blantyre to Lilongwe with a stop at Liwonde National Park. We spent an enjoyable Saturday touring the park, first via Land Cruiser and then by boat, where we saw elephants, crocodiles, and hippos, along with numerous types of antelopes, monkeys, and birds.
Image: Elephant in the Liwonde National Park. Credit: Sam Stephenson.
As a new member of the CCG and Refficiency teams, this trip reinforced why we do this work and the potential benefits we can provide if we do our jobs well. I returned home with a renewed appreciation for our work and a hope that I can return to Malawi soon.
