Research Directorate conducts annual research review workshop

In this year’s annual review workshop, AMU’s Research Directorate has reviewed overall 274 projects of which 251 are ongoing and 23 completed. The workshop beginning from 17th to 18th March, 2019, at Main Campus, has critically evaluated and discussed five completed research findings; while remaining projects were simultaneously reviewed at different colleges on the last day.Click here to See the Image
At the outset Research Directorate Director, Dr Teshome Yirgu, exhorting researchers to complete their respective projects in stipulated timeframe also informed gathering that at present AMU has 325 ongoing, 2 Grand and 23 completed projects. He informed that currently 67% male and 28% female staff members are engaged in research that takes gross involvement to 60.1%. He claimed to have secured global funds worth 21.1% of total Research Directorate’s annual budget outlay from nations like Switzerland, Germany including Belgium’s Institutional University Cooperation (IUC).

Opening workshop, University President, Dr Damtew Darza, said, annual research review workshops speak about our firm commitment to create a platform wherein researchers come together and discuss varied issues of research work quality and progress in the university. It will ultimately help researchers to come up with higher degree of valid and reliable findings that would go in formulating pragmatic solutions in resolving corresponding societal problems.

The first five completed projects presented that investigated issues such as impact of soil erosion, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder, bio-diversity of God’s Bridge, species composition, vegetation structure, Graduate Tracer Study and household bio-sand filter were presented by Mr Teshome Dengiso, Mr Biruk Zewdie, Mr Megbaru Dabalke, Mr Mulugeta Kebebew and Mr Mossisa Tefera.

Giving total pool of project break-up, Dr Teshome said, College of Agricultural Sciences has 24 ongoing & 7 completed projects, College of Natural Sciences, 67 ongoing, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, 17 ongoing, Institute of Technology, 25 ongoing & 3 completed, Water Technology Institute, 21 ongoing & 3 completed, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, 10 ongoing & 1 completed.

Similarly, School of Pedagogy and Behavioral Sciences, 10 ongoing, School of Law, 8 ongoing, College of Business & Economics, 18 ongoing, Sawla Campus 17 ongoing and 3 completed, Gircha Highland Fruits and Vegetable Research Centre, 18 ongoing & 2 completed, Bio-diversity Diversity Research Centre, 7 ongoing & 4 completed, Social Science Research Unit, 8 ongoing, Livestock Research Centre has 4 ongoing and  projects to its credit.

Mr Biruk Zewdie, presenting his finding on ‘Land use and land cover change dynamics on soil erosion’, said, one of the challenges of soil erosion risk assessment in Hare watershed is lack of comprehensive studies that’s characterized by undulating topography, intensive agricultural practices, poor soil conservation practices and high soil erosion rates. The results showed that the watershed generates an average soil loss rate of 7.34 to 54.78 Ton Hectare per Year in 2000 and it ranges from 9.6 to 46.75 Ton Hectare per Year in 2015.

While, project focusing Nech Sar National Park, found that analysis on the structure of the forest indicated that forest wasn’t under good regenerated status because anthropogenic activities carried out in the area states that agricultural expansion, animal grazing, deforestation, etc. pose great threat to the forest. Hence timely corrective measures are recommended to sustain utilization of vegetation of the study area.

In closing remarks Dr Teshome said, I acknowledge and appreciate the kind of painstaking efforts being taken by researchers but at the same time, I humbly ask all of you to try to complete your projects in time. And while saying so, I do understand practical difficulties as well for which we try to make things better.

Over 150 AMU staff members, stakeholders and others were in attendance.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)