The Cuban ambassador to Ethiopia, his Excellency Juan Manuel Rodriguez paid an official visit to Jimma University on the 21st of February, 2017. The Ambassador was welcomed at a lunch reception in the presence of the president of Jimma University, Professor Fikre Lemnessa and Mr. Kora Tushune V/P for Business and Development, Mayor of Jimma Town and other officials from JU and the Jimma city administration.
In a discussion held at the Senate Hall, Mr. Kora warmly welcomed the Ambassador to JU. Mr. Kora has also mentioned the historical ties of mutual support between the two nations, which has been serving as a spring board for collaboration among educational and other institutions of both nations. He has also explained about the role of Cuban professors in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at JU for a long period of time. He underlined that JU is indebted to them for their dedication in providing good quality medical services & offering training for most of the current senior medical staffs at JU. He also emphasized that the hiring of 12 Cuban medical Doctors in the 2017 academic year, which are expected to arrive after few days to JU, is a continuation of the legacy of high profile and well qualified Cuban medical staffs in the near past at JU.
The Ambassador in his part expressed that the Cuban government and its delegate in Ethiopia are deeply committed towards intensive collaboration with institutions in Ethiopia and in this case with Jimma University. Cuban professors, according to him, will continue to contribute for the advancement and development of Ethiopia. This, as per his statement, is an outcome of long standing sense of friendship and brotherhood between the people of Cuba & Ethiopia strongly supporting each other in the international arena. The relationship between the two countries is laid on strong foundation and both nations will continue to support each other in achieving development.
The discussion later on was followed by a short campus tour and visit to the new JU hospital facility.