Malawian pastors will not have to travel abroad to pursue a masters degree in theology as a Scottish university has entered into a unique partnership to provide additional training to ministers.
The Aberdeen University has teamed up with Zomba Theological College in the country to ensure students no longer have to travel to the UK to study Masters degrees.
According to Herlad Scotland news, this is the first UK institution to take a theological postgraduate programme and teach it to church leaders in Malawi.
The initiative is supported by the Church of Scotland in partnership with the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP).
It has been established that a total of 14 students have been accepted to the two-year, part-time Masters in Theology in Ministry Studies and it will start in September this year.
The university has also given the students an 85 percent cut in fees and students can apply for funding from a £20,000 scholarship programme set up by the World Mission Council of the Church of Scotland.
Aberdeen Presbytery is supporting the initiative, which will initially run for five years, by paying for textbooks.
The Rev George Cowie of South Holburn Parish Church in Aberdeen, which is twinned with the congregation of Kachere CCAP in Blantyre, said: “The developing relationship between the college and university is to be celebrated. By sharing our heritage of education we deepen the longstanding relationship between our two countries.”
