Building the Next Generation of Drone and Geospatial Technology Practitioners in Malawi
September 25th, 2026
Malawi Flying Labs, in collaboration with the Spatial Girls Network, conducted a practical drone technology training for university students at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda Campus, on 19 September 2026. The training brought together 20 university students, comprising 11 girls and 9 boys, and was facilitated by a team of four facilitators.
The training was organised to introduce university students to drone technology and demonstrate how unmanned aerial systems can be applied in academic research, geospatial data collection, environmental monitoring, agriculture, natural resource management and community development.
For Malawi Flying Labs and the Spatial Girls Network, the training was not only about teaching students how to operate a drone. It was an opportunity to help students understand how emerging technologies can complement their academic disciplines and enable them to develop practical solutions to challenges within the communities where they live and work.
Connecting Classroom Knowledge with Practical Technology
University students increasingly encounter research questions that require spatial data, field observations and accurate information about the environment. However, access to practical technologies that can support this work is often limited.
The training therefore introduced participants to the possibilities offered by drone technology as a tool for collecting aerial imagery and supporting spatial analysis. Participants were exposed to how drone technology can complement GIS and remote sensing and how the resulting information can support research and decision making.
From GIS and Remote Sensing to Agriculture and Environmental Management
The diversity of the students academic interests demonstrated the broad potential of drone technology in Malawi.
Students identified applications ranging from GIS and remote sensing to agriculture, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, robotics and community development. Several participants explained that the training would support their academic projects by allowing them to incorporate drone based data collection into their research.
One GIS student explained that the training would provide knowledge and skills that could be directly applied to a GIS based academic project. Another participant described the training as an opportunity to advance their practical experience in GIS and spatial data collection.
For students interested in machine learning and remote sensing, drone imagery provides an opportunity to explore how aerial data can be incorporated into research and analytical projects. Other participants identified applications in agriculture, including sustainable agricultural practices and irrigation monitoring.
The relevance extended beyond technical disciplines. A Gender and Development student highlighted the potential of drone technology for community mapping and research, particularly in understanding issues affecting women and communities, including climate change, WASH, humanitarian response and access to services.
A Natural Resources Management student similarly identified opportunities to use drones to collect information and map rivers, dams, forests and other natural resources while monitoring changes in land use and environmental activities.
Creating Opportunities for Young Women in Technology
The participation of 11 female students compared with 9 male students was an important aspect of the training.
The collaboration with the Spatial Girls Network provided an opportunity to encourage greater participation of young women in emerging technology fields. The training demonstrated that drone technology is not limited to traditional technology or engineering disciplines. Students from GIS, geography, agriculture, natural resources management, gender and development, robotics and other fields can apply drone technology to their areas of study.
This inclusive approach is consistent with the wider experience of Flying Labs, where youth and STEM activities have been used to expose students to drone technology, practical skills and potential technology careers.
From Learning to Community Impact
An important objective of Malawi Flying Labs is to ensure that drone technology contributes to solving real problems faced by communities.
The training therefore encouraged students to think beyond the use of drones for academic assignments and consider how the technology could be applied within the communities they come from. Potential applications identified by participants included environmental monitoring, agricultural management, community mapping, disaster preparedness, natural resource monitoring and improving understanding of access to services.
This is particularly relevant in Malawi, where communities continue to face challenges related to floods, climate change, environmental degradation, food security and access to essential services. Drone technology, when combined with GIS, remote sensing and other data sources, can provide additional information to support these challenges.
The Way Forward
The training represents an initial step towards developing a community of university students with practical knowledge of drone technology.
Malawi Flying Labs and the Spatial Girls Network will continue to explore opportunities to connect students with practical projects, mentorship, mapping activities and other technology initiatives. The intention is to create pathways through which students can move from introductory exposure to practical application and eventually become contributors to Malawi's growing drone and geospatial ecosystem.
The initiative also contributes to Malawi Flying Labs broader objective of building local capacity and connecting universities, government, humanitarian organisations, private sector technology companies and young innovators around the responsible use of drone technology. Malawi Flying Labs was established to build local drone skills, facilitate knowledge exchange and develop applications for humanitarian, climate and development challenges.
A Starting Point for a Student Drone Community
The 20 students who participated in this training are now part of a growing community of young people being introduced to the possibilities of drone technology in Malawi.
The next opportunity is to move beyond introductory training towards student-led drone projects, university mapping initiatives, research support, innovation challenges and mentorship programmes. This would allow students to apply the skills gained during the training to real-world challenges while contributing to the development of Malawi's emerging geospatial and drone ecosystem.
