AMU hosted an enlightening public lecture entitled "Water, Power, and Diplomacy: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Focus" in AWTi, Main Campus, on January 5, 2025. This significant event aimed to illuminate the vital role of water resource management in Ethiopia's development and well-being and share decades’ long successful accomplishment expertise to diverse audience from the university community. Click here to see more photos.
Ing. Bogale G/Mariam (PhD), Vice President for Academic Affairs at AMU, commencing the program and welcoming the guests said that such scholarly meetings are of a critical importance to bring scientific discussion to table where young researchers and academicians exploit lots of opportunities; Ing. Bogale (PhD) cordially applauded all the guests for their presence in AMU.
AMU President Ing. Abdella Kemal (PhD) underlined the importance of engaging with such high-level public figures with extensive international experience in water and related sciences’ issues will not only enhance our understanding but also empower us to build greater capacity in this essential sector in his opening speech. He briefed an overview of the university's establishment as AWTi and its transition to full-fledged university, and then to a research university and again heading to an autonomous administration beginning from 2023. His remarks set the stage for a productive dialogue on the GERD's implications for Ethiopia’s water resources and energy generation.
Ealias Gebeyehu (PhD), Director of the Water Research Center at AWTi, AMU, gave a low down on the establishment and advancement of the Arba Minch Water Technology Institute (AWTi) giving details of its achievements in building the infrastructure and equipping academic and research laboratories in water engineering, advancing water engineering programs from diploma to UG, MSc and PhD, future plans, and the government's focus on national water resources management.
H.E Ambassador Ing. Seleshi Bekele (PhD), an extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to USA, a prominent figure in water expertise and diplomacy in Ethiopia, a former Ethiopian Minister for Water, Irrigation, and Energy, the first minister to stand with his post at UN Security Council and a man of a distinguished career of 17 years since 1987 at the Arba Minch Water Technology Institute, AMU, brings a wealth of wisdom quenching the thirst of scholarly intellect of the gathering. As he speaks centrally on water, power and diplomacy being based on his exclusive and extensive academic expertise in Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, and Hydrology, and focused on GERD showcased vividly how endurably he worked to get the nation’s mission successful; he narrated professionally how he proceeded the GERD construction bravely solving effectively the earlier construction problems and he organized his ministry’s team to counterattack the diplomatic wars against the step-by-step dam filling by hammering the target with the motto “#FillTheDam! and #ItIsMyDam!” despite national instability and international pressing challenges.
During the lecture, H.E Ambassador Seleshi stressed that Ethiopia is working towards development and prosperity; hence, as a citizen, we should play our part successfully despite what we do and wherever we live our goal is the same – to have a sovereign and prosperous nation, Ethiopia. Though I am sharing my experience in my field this time with my early home, AMU, I would like to underline that every profession is so important and has a gap to complete in the process of the nation building, he noted. Exemplifying his PhD study research with Dresden University of Technology on the Abaya and Chamo Lakes, every successfully done job will reward back as his PhD work could attract the researchers from Germany and became a reason for giving chances to other nine PhDs, he said. That means, if we do our individual role effectively, that very role paves the way for us and others to move forward; we have to be time conscious and even take risks as well, he advised.
H.E Ambassador Ing. Seleshi (PhD) plans to work closely with his late home, AMU. He confirms to establish modalities to tap existing expertise to manage human, land and water resources of our nation to ensure food sustainability by producing enough with rain and irrigation, promote green industry and generate power to all corners of the nation. He also noted that how he felt comfortable in coming back to Arba Minch and AMU.
Berhanu Bulcha (PhD), a NASA Engineer and space scientist and a co-founder of the Brighter Generation Organization along with his wife, Tsega Solomon (PhD), a biochemist, shared groundbreaking insights of explorations to check whether water exists on the moon and other moons as well to start life for the future highlighting on innovative methods of resource utilization. Berhanu Bulcha (PhD) was born in Addis Ababa and moved to America for his studies; by hard working and focusing on the system, he could become as a successful space scientist in his field and advises the audience to face the challenges bravely and learn from the hardest ways. He aspires to build generations of wisdom through his brighter generation organization and other professional and organizational collaborations with AMU in the future.
Hizkyas Dufera (Eng.), an Aerospace Designer/Programmer, who moved to America from his 11th grade from Tikur Ambesa High school, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sharing his experience, also said that it’s very important to differentiate between the real profession and one’s hobby as sometimes hobbies top up to blur one’s professionalism as he was in such problem until his mother cleared up the confusion between them and then getting into the right track he became a successful aerospace designer/programmer. Hizkyas Dufera (Eng.) exploited a great deal of expertise on off-grid power installations and managed cost-effectively for 10 towns in the first 10 million USD project and 250 towns in the second 500 million USD one. He recommends working on commercially viable techs to Ethiopia and seeks to continue organizational collaboration in the energy sector.
Teklu Wegayehu (PhD), Vice president for research and cooperation office, remarked that it’s was such a graceful event to have these internationally well-acquainted public figures in AMU; he also applauded for all of them for the efforts they made for Ethiopia and their contributions especially for H.E Ambassador Ing. Selsehi (PhD). AMU will be very interested to work together with them and other collaborators in water and other disciplines for the future installing all important modalities, he confirmed.
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Public and International Relations Executive