Arba Minch University, with various reforms in academic and administrative arenas, is moving in right track to address institutional issues that invariably complement national needs. President, Dr Feleke Woldeyes, speaking on the broad spectrum of interests revealed as to how they will transform university in totality.
Buttressing his points, he said, AMU has gathered momentum on its quadruple focal areas i.e. teaching-learning, research, community service and good governance. Things are going as planned with several preparatory activities like hiring of required local and expatriate instructors and fulfilling basic facilities and infrastructure.’’
Unraveling big-ticket projects in the pipeline, he says, university has developed a package of proposals for Belgium’s Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad - Institutional University Cooperation (VLIR-IUC). One of our projects is through the first round, if approved can support dozens of PhD study opportunities and we are vigorously pushing for it.
From VLIR, he adds, we secured smaller project i.e. VLIR-Own Initiative (VLIR-OI), through which AMU staff got benefitted by attending doctoral studies and with VLIR-Team, two AMU staff members have already resumed their PhDs.
‘‘AMU will collaborate with national and global institutions, as some agreements are on the cards. We wish to partner with universities and research institutions from Europe, Asia, US, Australia and African continents. And as of now, we are strengthening ties with local institutions,’’ giving his take on the issue, he said.
With the establishment of University-Industry Linkage Technology Transfer Directorate, newer vistas of cooperation in research and academic sector have opened up. And to make headway in this regard, Ministry of Science and Technology is facilitating relevant collaboration with public universities. Apart from communicating with potential industries, it will primarily undertake joint research and technology-transfer activity and emphasize on creating competent graduates, he added.
The establishment of proposed Chinese Language Centre is supposed to happen in near future as communication in this regard is on with the Confucius Centre in Addis Ababa.
He informs in three months time, a full-fledged cultural centre would be set up that will work in collaboration with Language departments. It will portray and consistently promote the true spirit of regional cultural diversity through entertainment (music, plays, drama), and educate youth by hosting workshop, symposium, discussion panel etc.
Upcoming Water Resource Centre in the university, he says, will harness streams, digs wells, work on irrigation schemes with different stakeholders. It will also compete with other institutions in rendering professional services. First it will resolve our problem and then serve other clientele in the market.
Demystifying ‘70:30 ratio’, he says adding, ‘‘Although, we have adequate teachers with Master degrees; but there is need to achieve plausible quota of 30% PhD holders. Sustainable efforts are afoot to tap national and global resources. Under the globalization strategy, short-term strategy of hiring expatriate instructors from India and Philippines is on. That apart our government is also giving due attention for the same.’’
AMU-NHU’s joint Applied Entrepreneurship Education Program (AEEP), isn’t completely petered out, only its second phase has been completed, as there are tasks to be done, he informed. AMU is considering other areas of collaboration with HNU and possible modalities for the same would be thrashed out during the symposium to be held in Germany.
He said, Sawla will be AMU’s sixth full-fledged campus which will begin its activity soon by hosting about 200 students. It will have separate academic and administrative staff as the Ministry of Civil Service has already endorsed the structure.
(By Corporate Communication Directorate: Philips Joseph)