H.E. Ambassador Moonhwan KIM visits JU
Professor Fikre Lemessa, JU’s president, after thanking the Ambassador and the delegates for their visit to JU, mentioned that the diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and South Korea date back to 1951 when Ethiopia responded to the call of UN Security Council to preserve peace and security in Korean Peninsula during Korean war(1951-1953). He stated that Korea’s remarkable transformation from a poor agrarian country into a leading industrial country in one generation (in half a century), inspired Ethiopia for its rapid economic development and dynamic democracy. Professor Fikre said that Jimma University strongly believes that the Korean experiences in the field of higher education are paramount importance to grow as strong University for JU. He said JU’s partnership with the Korean Universities started five years ago with the KNU( Kangwon National University) in the Vegetable Production and technology transfer project, a project funded by Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). President Fikre underlined JU’s desire to collaborate with the Korean Universities in the field science and technology. Regarding the concerns raised by the Ambassador about the K-project, he assured the Ambassador and the delegates that JU will undertake all the necessary preparation to ensure the success of the project.
Mr. Kora Tushune, Vice-president for Business and Development of JU, on his part pointed out that the K-project will help the university to get closer to the community by providing mobile health services. The additional resources from the project will help the university to provide better and accessible services. He said the Korean collaboration can be extended further in the area of geo-thermal energy, which does not exist in the western part of Ethiopia.
In response to the concerns raised by the President and the Vice president, the Ambassador promised to look for opportunities to link up JU with Korean universities to enhance the cooperation in the field of science and technology. He also gave his word to deliver public lecture on Korean-Ethiopian relations and other important issues to JU community.
After the discussions, the Ambassador had a campus tour that mainly involved the Jimma University Hospital and the Jimma Vegetable Production Centre established through the partnership of JU and KNU. The Ambassador and the delegates had also a drive-through visit of the main campus, the College of Agriculture and the Kito Furdisa campus (Jimma Institute of Technology).