MNU Awards Contract for New Campus and Student Housing in Villingili

Maldives National University (MNU) has awarded the contract to build a new campus and student accommodation block in Villingili, Gaafu Alif Atoll, to Solex Private Limited. The project is a key component of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's national policy to decentralize higher education and increase access outside the Greater Malé Region. The Villingili campus development is part of a broader initiative to establish new university campuses across the nation. Under the current administration's higher education policy, work is underway to develop 26 MNU campuses and 12 Islamic University of Maldives (IUM) campuses in the atolls. Prior to this push, only four MNU campuses existed outside the capital region. The government aims to complete these projects within the next two years, working toward a more comprehensive and inclusive higher education system by the end of its five-year term. The new campuses will include various classrooms and accommodation blocks to serve prospective students locally. In a complementary effort to boost skills for the tourism industry, the government has also earmarked a project to develop language schools in three regions: Kulhudhuffushi City, Addu City, and Fonadhoo in Laamu Atoll. These schools are designed to facilitate language studies, enhancing students' employability in the nation's key economic sector.