Mathews Phiri, 1972 - 2016

All are welcome to attend a service of thanksgiving, for the life of Mathews Phiri.

Date: Sunday 19th March

Time: 6pm

Venue: University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel, Main Building Gilmorehill Campus, University of Glasgow, Chapel Corridor (South), West Quadrangle, Glasgow G12 8QQ

We are greatly saddened to inform members of the death of the Dr Mathews Phiri.

Dr Phiri, who was a proud Scotland Malawi Partnership member, died on the 22^nd November 2016 in Mzuzu, as he began his journey back to Glasgow to collect his PhD from the University of Glasgow.

The SMP has passed our sincere condolences to the family of Dr Phiri and we are working with the University of Glasgow to support a suitable memorial service which will take place in March. The University took time at its Graduation ceremony this week to mark the tragedy of Dr Phiri’s passing and to award his PhD posthumously (CLICK HERE for video, 17mins). We join all those in the ceremony in applauding Dr Phiri’s achievement with this PhD and his contribution to the continuing friendship between our two nations.

Dr Phiri’s passing is a great loss to the bilateral relationship and our thoughts are with his family in Mzuzu. Members wishing to contribute to the funeral costs, as is often customary in Malawi, may contact Dr Alistair Tough.

Dr Mathews Phiri, an appreciation by Dr Alistair Tough, University of Glasgow

Mathews was a gifted teacher, a dedicated research academic and excellent company. He was a good friend too, invariably cheerful and positive in his outlook. Tragically he died, suddenly and utterly unexpectedly, just as he was setting out from Mzuzu to Glasgow to attend his Ph. D. graduation ceremony.

Mathews was originally from Nsanje in the low-lying and intensely hot far south of Malawi. His mother later moved to the Chikwawa district, closer to the big city of Blantyre but still in the Lower Shire valley. He studied at the University of Malawi, then the only university in the country. After graduating he taught mathematics in secondary schools for a time. His gifts as a teacher were noticed and he was offered a lectureship in Information Studies at Malawi’s second public university in Mzuzu.

When it was recognised that his department needed someone to teach Records Management, Mathews agreed to go overseas to obtain a recognised qualification. He spent a happy year in Aberystwyth where he obtained his master’s degree.

Mathews was particularly well suited to the role of leading on Records Management as he had a strong commitment to the subject. Mathews’ teaching duties at Mzuzu University were far from straightforward. His classes characteristically consisted of a mix of students, some of whom had good academic qualifications but little experience in the workplace whilst others had a good deal of relevant experience but modest qualifications. He managed this challenge with aplomb, seeking to engage both experience and intellectual attainments in the classroom.

Early in the twenty first century it was recognised that Malawi needed a postgraduate degree course in Librarianship and Information Science that would incorporate major archive and records studies components. After a prolonged period of preparation, an MLIS course was inaugurated at Mzuzu two years ago. The preparatory work was supported by the Scotland Malawi Partnership. In the initial phase of teaching development, aid funds were provided from Norway.

It was recognised that teaching the MLIS course would require well qualified academic staff. So Mathews returned to the UK to undertake doctoral study in the University of Glasgow. His topic was the management of records in higher education in an era of corporatisation. He proved to be a conscientious and able research student. In particular, he accepted constructive criticism with great good will and made good use of advice when it was offered.

Mathews died from heart failure. In the week prior to his death, there had rarely been power in Mzuzu. On the day before Mathews died the power was on, so he started to catch up on the backlog of e-mail, word processing et cetera. The power stayed on all night, so he worked all night. The next morning Mathews should have driven to Lilongwe to begin his journey to Glasgow but he felt very ill. Elizabeth called an ambulance and they got him to the nearby Regional Hospital quickly. There a cardiac illness was diagnosed and oxygen and an intravenous drip were provided. This resulted in a marked improvement in Mathews' blood pressure, pulse and respiration. Then a decision was made to move him to a ward. Unfortunately, the hospital could not provide oxygen whilst moving Mathews. Whilst the trolley was being moved from the Accident and Emergency Department to the ward, Mathews died of heart failure

Mathews was a practising Catholic. During his time in Glasgow he joined a congregation made up almost entirely of Africans – mainly Nigerians – where worship was conducted without the inhibitions found in many Scottish churches.

Mathews Phiri was born 14 Feb 1972 in Nsanje and died on 22 Nov 2016 in Mzuzu.