Arba Minch University President, Dr Damtew Darza, in his candid interview spoke on the broad-spectrum issues and annual plan of this fiscal year; he also lay bared as to how chalked-out plans for this year’s development will be carried out and contingency plans will obviate possible crisis.

At the outset, annual budget including capital and recurrent for 2010 is ETB 1,498,567,400. But, in capital one compared to last year is slashed by ETB 400 Million, for it’s based on three-year’s program budget planning that might later get scaled up for such purposes, he said optimistically.

Giving statistics for three important pillars of university, he said, as usual teaching-learning takes the lion’s share of ETB 54,528,900, Research stands at ETB 18,034,800, and Community Service got robust tranche of ETB 25,517,700.

Getting into specifics, he adds, in research, we have identified thematic areas in relation to different disciplines in institutes and colleges, thus more focus is on problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research that will be utilized for the welfare of community in particular.

On areas of vital importance, he averred that university services are related to training in the areas related to business and economics, while government and NGO trainings are offered by our staff, which is of primary concern.

And he adds, in these strategic areas, university has planned to support two schools i.e. Arba Minch and Sawla Senior Secondary and Preparatory schools to become ‘Centre of Excellence’. We will give training to teachers and material support will be put in place to ensure dispensation of quality education.

Staff development program that we practice regularly might start this year, AMU is working on short-term training; instructional, higher diploma training and sending teachers for further education are vigorously pursued. Secondly, deliver-ology (boosting individual, institutional performance) is given more emphasis to build teachers’ capacity in teaching methodology and language skills by English Language Instructional Centre (ELIC) under School of Pedagogy and Behavioral Science.

Unraveling the potential endeavor, he said, AMU will start ‘tracer study’ to know how many of our graduates are well placed and on its outcome next years, curriculum will be revised and judiciously allocation of students to respective departments will be proportionally carried out.

On last year’s achievements, he said, increment in Post-Graduate and PhD programs, launching of university journal – OMO International Journal of Sciences, and two more in the pipelines, enhancement of ICT services, successful AMU-Sahay Solar project, 17 instructors joining PhD programs under AMU-IUC in Belgium, beautification of campuses setting study parks for students are among a few.

Further, improvement in progress of construction works, increment in female students’ enrolment and female staff at leadership positions across university and timely publications of myriad communication collaterals by Corporate Communication Directorate made great difference, he averred.

Admitting 90% success and 10% failure of bygone year; he said, maintenance of different buildings hasn’t been as planned, purchasing and procurement process had some hiccups and cafeteria services unsatisfactory. In order to arrest these downslide, system of quick follow-up, purchase-procurement process will be eased and all vendors at cafeterias will be changed.

On level of preparedness, he said, in last two months, we tried to improve our performance, loopholes plugged, manpower (local & expatriate staff) strengthened, infrastructure gets face-lift and the process is aggressively underway with the sense of proportion.

Calling upon university community, he said, cooperative work culture will help us to achieve what we expect to; it will enable us to both staff and students to perform better by supporting one another so that jointly we scale the height.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)