Arba Minch University has hosted Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s (MoSHE) 2-day training for 45 Ethiopian Government universities’ presidents, vice presidents and scientific directors from 9th to 10th March, 2021, at Main Campus. Deliberation on Ethiopia’s 10-year Strategic Planning on education roadmap, its implementation, evaluation and challenges involved were on the agenda. Click here to see the photos

The State Minister for Science and Higher Education, Prof. Afework Kassu, officiating trainers’ training, said, the aim of this training is to introduce Ethiopia’s 10-Year Strategic Plan on education roadmap based on policies, strategies and programs where core objective is to reach consensus on these aspects and each university’s strategic plan has to be aligned with the national one. And also we want to ensure the planning on science and innovative technologies will make us successful at continental and global level and to achieve United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); here consistency at the leadership level is vital in cascading down them down the rung.

Recapitulating discussions, the minister exhorted all leaders to follow MoSHE’s revised Higher Education Proclamation No. 1152/2019 that asks for creation of proper legal framework to guide Higher Education Institutions in achieving their missions expected by the government and public to ensure quality, relevance and center of excellence in teaching, learning, research and community service that gives prominence to nationally prioritized areas and ensure transparency equity and accountability.

He underscored need to prepare curriculums that will enable graduates to be a job-creator and not just to look at the government for job thus establishing the culture of self-reliance and here, he said, all leaders have an important role to play and to see that it happens, he stressed.

At the outset, AMU President, Dr Damtew Darza, according warm welcome to visiting dignitaries, said, it’s our privilege to have high echelons of government universities who have gathered to deliberate on issues of nation importance. Initially, he gave a complete lowdown on AMU’s growth trajectory that includes its humble journey, statistics on programs and staff, categorization as Research University and its commitment to complement government’s efforts to standardize education and research endeavor. In his concluding remarks he expressed satisfaction that all leaders have got the depth of what’s taught them and expected of them in implementing these policies and strategies to achieve desired goals.

Bahir Dar University’s Dr Yalew Endawok, who is MoSHE’s Senior Advisor emphasized that there is need to clarify prevailing wrong notion on Ethiopia’s education policy. Discussion on education philosophy, major policy issues, objectives and challenges involved will give an idea as how to approach at it and it will make you ready for its implementation with clear-cut guidelines. Your constructive remarks probably help us to revisit education policy and make it result-oriented. The society including teachers disseminate that’s called behaviorism when it’s not enough, there is need to construct new to satisfy our needs.

Higher Education’s Director General, Dr Eba Mijana, speaking on education roadmap and its nitty-gritty adds that MoSHE should know first whenever universities open a new program and whichever are launched without its consent should be duly terminated. Curriculum preparation and program relevance study must be done by the faculty and departments respectively that has to be nationally and globally acknowledged.

On the occasion, state minister, Dr Samuel Kifle shared his vision with participating 7 presidents, scores of vice presidents, scientific directors including AMU representatives who were in attendance; Dr Solomon Abreha and Mr Fisseha Bekele, anchored day’s proceedings.

(Communication Affairs Directorate)