A capacity-building work plan partnership has been signed between Jimma University Institute of Technology (JIT) and Germany-based higher institution, University of Applied Forest Science (HFR). Representatives of the two institutions, Professor Dr. Engineer Isayas Alemayehu (JIT) and Professor Dr. Engineer Matthias Friedle (HFR) have signed the agreement today at the knowledge transfer center, JIT.
The goal of this partnership is to strengthen the capacity of JIT’s Environmental engineering in providing quality training programs. Moreover, it is aiming to prepare students to work curbing environmental pollution through Community Based Education. The partnership is expected to facilitate knowledge and skill transfer between JIT and HFR students with the motto “students create education’’.
Professor Dr. Engineer Isayas Alemayehu said JIT is conducting research on diverse environment-related issues. He added this partnership project will have a huge impact in changing people’s mindset to apply non-conventional water resource management. Professor Dr. Engineer Matthias Friedle on his behalf said Jimma University’s Community Based Education (CBE) philosophy will help this partnership to succeed and wants to know more the details of its application since they don’t have such practice in Germany.
On the occasion of the agreement, it has been told that as part of knowledge and skill transfer, students from both Institutions will have a six months training and sharing of technological skills in JIT as well as HFR. Pollution surge in urban areas particularly in low-income countries like Ethiopia is a huge challenge to technology as well as legislation around urban water and sanitation management. So, the partnership is aimed at improving problem-solving attitude and skills development towards low-cost technologies to control pollution with affordable expertise and equipment.
