ICM Chief Executive Professor Tom Thomas, Communications Assistant Emily McGuinness and Chairman Dr Alistair Somerville Ford with Dr Kazembe and Mr Chilabade from the Staff Development Institute in Malawi.

Representatives from an ICM Centre in Malawi visited the Christchurch Head Office this week to meet with ICM’s Chief Executive and Chairman.

ICM Chief Executive Professor Tom Thomas welcomed Mr Bressings G. Chilabade and Dr Manuel B. Kazembe from the Staff Development Institute (SDI).

SDI is an important provider of ICM programmes in Malawi. A government-sponsored training institute based in Blantyre district, in the Southern Region of Malawi, it is the only Management and Human Resource Development institution in Malawi whose existence goes back to pre-independent Malawi, the year 1962.

Mr Chilabade, Director of SDI and Dr Kazembe, the Head of its Communication Department, were in the UK to foster closer links between the two organisations, and to review the examination procedures. They also discussed the possibility of additional ICM programmes to be offered by the SDI, and improving the support provided to learners.

Mr Chilabade said how pleased he was with the visit and the time spent with the Chairman Dr Alistair Ford and the Chief Executive Tom Thomas; “It is good to be able to meet ICM staff and to discuss in person issues of common interest.”

Professor Thomas said: “I am always pleased to meet representatives from ICM Centres, and it was a real pleasure to meet these gentlemen from Malawi. We found it very useful to discuss issues, and it was an invaluable opportunity to see how we can further help our Centres in the development and delivery of high quality programmes.”