Arba Minch University in its 31st Convocation at Abaya Campus Auditorium on 30th June, 2018, has had 4,390 regular students (4,179 UG & 211 PG) graduating that includes 3,027 males and 1,363 females; Sawla Campus also has the first batch of its 130 graduates in three streams. Click here to see the pictures.

This year’s cumulative graduates of 5,965 including spillover of 2017 has 4,181 male and 1,784 female students (5,514 UG, 441 PG) hailed from both regular and Evening, Summer, Weekend and Distance modes of education.

For, Dr Negash Wagesho, it was the first graduation after becoming the state minister for Water Supply & Sanitation with Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and AMU Board Chairman, said, with cities, industries and service sector’s expansion, demand for climate change-resistant technology and development became need of the hour, it’s here higher education institutes can play the role of a catalyst by producing highly tech-savvy manpower, who will really fit the bill.

Therefore, since last decade, to make equitable distribution of higher education institutes in the country, government has come up with apt policies and having understood importance of quality education, key components such as information technology, library & laboratory services are being strengthened that will enable us to reap sustainable benefits across the board, he added.

AMU President, Dr Damtew Darza, lauding governmental support in making AMU a better place of learning, said, presently our university is equipped with advanced infrastructure; academically we are entrenched, on research and community service fronts, exceptionally tangible outputs on diverse arenas speak volumes about our intention, and we will continue to pull all stops to excel.

Exhorting graduates, he said, having imbibed skills and traits of respective trades, you will now enter into the real world, where you have to prove your mettle. It will be the defining moment of your life, and it’s your dedication that will lay foundation of your career, making you an important cog in the wheel of social, economic and national development.

The statistics has it that this time, AMU’s two institutes i.e. Water Technology Institute had 715 graduates, Institute of Technology, 920; College of Natural Sciences, 620, Medicine and Health Sciences, 234, Agricultural Sciences, 318, Business & Economics, 858, Social Science and Humanities, 422, and Law 51 respectively.

The peculiarity of this Convocation, Registrar, Dr Belete Yilma, states that 307 are the first-time graduates of eight UG programs launched way back in different colleges; Sawla Campus has 130, wherein Logistics and Supply Chain Management, has 46, Finance & Development Economics, 46, and Communication & Media Studies, 38, graduates respectively.

While much-hyped Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology has churned out 49, Medical Anesthesia, 11, Radiology, 16, Ethiopian Language & Literature – Gamogna, 38, Gofigna, 27, and Adult Education & Community Development has 36 graduates.

The merit list of 20 outstanding graduates includes 8 males and 11 females. Another first of this convocation is a brilliant graduate of College of Agricultural Sciences, Selamawit Woldemichael, turned the table on boys by clocking 3.98 CGPA in Agribusiness & Value Chain Management. She excelled at department, college-level, outclassed all females and finally bagged Gold Medal and Winner’s Cup as well.

Eight outstanding graduates, who bagged gold medals are Selamawit Woldemichael, 3.98, Agribusiness & Value Chain Management, Chala Tesfaye, 3.97, Biotechnology, Bizuneh Nigussie, 3.95, Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Sawla Campus), Sufian Kedir, 3.92, Computer Science, Amanuel Tesfaye, 3.89, Hydraulic & Water Resources Engineering, Kusse Otayto, 3.91, Health Officer, Mulugeta Habtamu, 3.76, Adult Education & Community Development, and Yishak Abrahem, 3.91, Ethiopian Language and Literature – Gofigna.

Ten female graduates with impressive CGPA in respective departments are, Beletu Kefelew, 3.94, Finance & Development Economics, Kidest Tadesse, 3.87, Water Supply & Environmental Engineering, Amira Refik, 3.86, Biology, Etenesh Kefelew, 3.85, Public Health, Ruth Jembere, 3.81, Social Science and Anthropology, Urgo Homa, 3.68, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aster Asefa, 3.73, Communication and Media Studies, Hana Abate, 3.54, Shushay Hagos, 3.7, Accounting & Finance, and Negist Girma, Law.

At the outset, Dr Belete Yilma, read out this year’s record, followed by Academic Affaires Vice President, Dr Yechale kebede, presenting all graduates of respective institutes and colleges. Jinka Universoity President, Prof Gebre Entiso gracing the event along with Dr Negash Wagesho, Dr Damtew Darza, Dr Yechale Kebede and Gamo Gofa Zone Administrator, Mr Esayas Endrias, gave away degrees.

Comparatively speaking AMU since 2013 that had 2,626 graduates, followed by 3,672 in 2014, 5,228 in 2015, 5,726 in 2016, 5,513 in 2017 and current figure of 5,965 has it that in the last five year AMU’s graduate data has approximately increased by 127%.

The atmosphere got charged-up with Gamo Gofa Zone Music band performing; a congratulatory number rendered by Community School students stole the limelight. Corporate Communication Directorate Director, Mr Fissiha Bekele, anchored the program.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)