Arba Minch University researcher Dr. Mohammed Abebe has secured a prestigious international grant under the VLIRUOS TEAM 2026 Call for a five-year project aimed at modernizing frontline health and agricultural extension training through innovative digital learning systems in Southern Ethiopia. Click here to see more photos.
The project, titled “EQUIP: Evidence-Based Quality E-Learning and Inclusive Pedagogy to Professionalize Frontline Extension Services in Southern Ethiopia,” is led by Dr. Mohammed Abebe, staff member of the Computing and Software Engineering Faculty at Arba Minch University, as Principal Investigator in collaboration with KU Leuven and Arba Minch College of Teacher Education.
Funded with 300,000 EUR, the initiative focuses on improving professional training opportunities for Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and Development Agents (DAs), particularly in remote and underserved communities where access to continuous education remains limited.
Commenting on the broader institutional significance, Dr. Teklu Wogayehu, Vice President for Research and Cooperation at AMU, explained that collaborative international projects remain among the university’s major strategic priorities and performance indicators. He highlighted that the university has been providing intensive training for staff on international grant proposal development and partnership building.
Dr. Teklu further indicated that the university has made encouraging progress in expanding international research collaborations. During the current fiscal year alone, more than 20 collaborative projects have reportedly been secured by AMU staff, while nearly 100 collaborative projects are currently active across the university. He also encouraged academic staff to strengthen their engagement in competitive international funding opportunities to further elevate the university’s research standing.
According to Dr. Mohammed Abebe, the project is designed to address critical challenges related to limited access to continuous professional training, inadequate digital learning infrastructure, shortage of locally relevant educational resources, and limited opportunities for competency-based learning among frontline extension workers.
He explained that the EQUIP project will establish major digital learning facilities at AMU, including a multimedia studio, smart classrooms, and a digital examination center to strengthen technology-supported professional education. The initiative will also develop blended-learning courses, specialized micro-certification programs in health and agriculture, and digital educational materials designed for low-connectivity environments.
Dr. Mohammed further noted that the project includes one sandwich PhD program and four MSc studies aimed at strengthening research, innovation, and evidence-based practices in digital education and extension services. He added that more than 70 academic staff members and supervisors will receive advanced training, while 240 frontline extension workers — with at least 50 percent women participation — are expected to benefit from competency-based learning programs.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fasil Eshetu, AMU-IUC Project Manager, described the VLIR-UOS TEAM 2026 competition as highly competitive due to the participation of experienced international scholars and the significance of the final TEAM call.
He explained that the AMU-IUC project played an important role in preparing AMU researchers for the competition. In September 2025, AMU-IUC organized a comprehensive information and proposal preparation session for university staff regarding the VLIRUOS TEAM 2026 Call, after which seven proposals were submitted from AMU.
Dr. Fasil added that securing one successful project from such a highly competitive call represents an important institutional achievement. He emphasized that the success of the EQUIP project will further strengthen collaboration between AMU and Belgian universities while reinforcing the long-standing legacy and impact of the AMU-IUC partnership.
Bayush Tesfaye, AMU-IUC Gender and Outreach Coordinator, noted that the information session helped AMU staff better understand the expectations and priorities of the VLIRUOS TEAM 2026 Call. She emphasized that the training strengthened researchers’ capacity to prepare competitive proposals aligned with sustainable development goals and inclusive international collaboration principles.
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