Arba Minch University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Oxford Brookes University (OBU) to strengthen legal study in School of Law; staff exchange and capacity building are other important activities to be carried out by both parties for the initial period of three years.

MoU in this regard was signed by Academic Affairs Vice President, Dr Yechale Kebede, on AMU behalf, while Marketing and Communication Vice-Chancellor, Suzy Jenner, represented OBU. This pact won’t enforce any financial obligations on either party to conduct mutually agreed activities.

Airing his views on MoU, Dr Yechale Kebede, said, it’s going to benefit our law students and faculty because in Ethiopia, we don’t have doctoral study opportunity. It will support School of Law by the means of staff exchange and capacity building training. And it will ensure a PhD to our staff therefore, it will be of great importance for AMU as Oxford Brookes University is very prestigious institution.

He adds that in the course of three years, we expect more OBU professors coming to teach and train our staff and students. And taking a cue from this, we are aiming to collaborate with other global institutions. We hope our staff to visit OBU and gain valuable academic experience in legal arena, he added.

The MoU further states that both parties expect to conduct initial discussion through Senior Lecturer, in Human Rights and Governance at the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP), Dr Richard Carver, on behalf of Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment at OBU and Dean of AMU’s School of Law, Mr Dersolegn Yeneabat at AMU.

Similarly, AMU students seeking to pursue law study at OBU have to meet the formal entry requirement. Thereby, CENDEP and School of Law would conduct joint teaching at AMU in human right fields, students and staff exchange, recruitment of AMU students to study at OBU including in the area of law and joint research in human right fields.

And while performing mutual activities both parties will comply with and adhere to United Kingdom’s common law in terms of ensuring equality, diversity and non-discrimination including age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion and disability. Under Data Protection Act 2018, both parties shall not access or take possession of or use other party’s data without first completing and operating a separate information sharing agreement.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)