NASCERE SIP Annual Review Meeting Workshop Held at Jimma University.

The NASCERE Strategic Institutional Partnership (SIP) Annual Review Meeting workshop was recently held at Jimma University on September 18-19, 2023. This event was hosted by Jimma University and aimed at evaluating the progress of the partnership and fostering strategic collaboration.

Dr. Tadese Habtamu, the Academic Affairs Vice President of Jimma University, delivered the welcoming speech at the workshop. He emphasized the significance of the event in bringing together participants to assess the performance of the partnership and establish future plans.

The NASCERE program’s main objective is to strengthen the achievements of the North-South partnership between Jimma University and Belgian universities, which was initiated through the Institutional University Collaboration (IUC) program. The program focuses on enhancing human capacity through collaborative research and joint PhD programs, with the ultimate aim of expanding home-grown PhD programs.

The workshop provided a platform for participants to reflect on their accomplishments, recognize milestones, and celebrate the progress made thus far. Mr. Kora Tushune, the Coordinator of the NASCERE project at Jimma University, highlighted the opportunities that the program offers for collaborative research, joint PhD programs, faculty and student exchanges, grant acquisition, and partnerships addressing global development challenges. These opportunities contribute to the promotion of human capacity building.

Professor Mieke Van Herreweghe, the Vice Rector of Ghent University, focused on the Strategic Institutional Partnership Program (SIP) during the workshop. She explained that SIP involves multidimensional and cross-project collaborations, where two or more institutions form partnerships based on equality and complementarity. Professor Van Herreweghe also emphasized that the Annual Review Meeting workshop helps strengthen the strategic partnership between Jimma University and Ghent University, with the goal of achieving sustainable impacts.

In her closing remarks, Professor Netsanet Workineh, the Vice President for Research and Community Service of Jimma University, emphasized the importance of collaboration in capacity building and overall institutional strength.

The workshop for the Annual Review Meeting of the NASCERE Strategic Institutional Partnership (SIP) came to a close with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Jimma University and Ghent University.

The NASCERE Strategic Institutional Partnership (SIP) Annual Review Meeting workshop provided an important platform for evaluating progress, setting future goals, and strengthening collaborative efforts between Jimma University and Belgian universities, particularly Ghent University.

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