(February 13, 2021) JU held a very colorful graduation ceremony in the presence of the university senate members, invited guests, and families of the graduates at the University’s Hachalu Hundesa Civic Center. A total of 4338 students completed their study and made it to today’s ceremony (3981 at undergraduate level), of which 1531 were female. 357 were Masters and Ph.D. graduates, constituting three Ph.D. and four health subspecialty trainees.
Guest of honor of the event Mrs. Meaza Ashenafi, President of the Federal Supreme Court, on occasion has primarily encouraged female graduates who made it to such a successful day regardless of cultural and social barriers and warmly congratulated all the graduates for seeing such a bright day after years of efforts. She praised the university’s Community Based Education (CBE) philosophy for the impact it is bringing within the community and for being a trailblazer for higher education institutions across the country by sharing its decades of experience in community-based education. She also underlined that participatory and community-oriented development is the key to advancing development in the country, as she has testified it from agricultural site visits at Jimma Zone. The younger generation, including today’s graduates, can play an instrumental role in supporting community-based development efforts by applying the knowledge they acquired through their intensive training. She advised the graduates to promote the development of their country and be more rational and critical in dealing with circumstances.
Special guest of the Day, Obbo Shimelis Abdissa, President of Oromiya Regional State, on his part, forwarded very warm congratulatory remarks to the graduates by further stating that “Ethiopia is lucky to have such a motivated and young generation like you.” The country has passed through historical trajectories and challenges. Now we are witnessing a glimmer of hope to transit our country to a prosperous, democratic state in which the educated youth, such as today’s graduates, will have an irreplaceable and invaluable role. He called the graduates to join hands to ensure their country’s peace, prosperity, and development.
Dr. Jemal Abafita, President of Jimma University, underlined that JU will continue to deliver its nationally assigned missions of teaching, research and innovation, and community services, keeping its exemplary leadership position. This year’s graduates, according to him, have endured many challenges due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and admired their unreserved resilience to finally accomplish their intensive training and graduate, pushing further to realizing their dreams and future career. He also highlighted the efforts that the University exerted to tackle the pandemic and cherished the successes achieved by the staff members’ united efforts that really helped the university continue to function in difficult situations and achieve its plans.
In the final stages of the event, the university Registrar Mr. Buruk Woldemichael and Deans presented the graduates in their respective colleges, and outstanding students from each program have also received awards from the guest of honors and president of the University.