Dr. Dereje Engida Woldemichael: President of Jimma University
Dr. Dereje Engida Woldemichael (PhD, CEng, MIMechE), has been appointed as the President of Jimma University, effective August 2026. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, research, and institutional leadership, Dr. Dereje most recently served as the President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU) since July 2019, where he also held the position of Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Dereje’s academic journey includes degrees from both Ethiopian and Malaysian institutions. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Mechanical Design) from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in 2009, following an MSc in 2004 and a BSc in 2001 in Mechanical Engineering from Addis Ababa University. He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) registered with the UK Engineering Council and an active member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (MIMechE).
Career Timeline:
- 2001–2006: Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
- 2006–2009: Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysia – Served as a Graduate Assistant while completing his Ph.D.
- 2010–2013: Curtin University Sarawak, Malaysia – Advanced from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer and then Head of Department. Notable achievements include securing a 5-year accreditation from Engineers Australia and a 2-year accreditation from EAC Malaysia, increasing student enrollment by 45%, and developing an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) assessment tool for continuous quality improvement.
- 2013–2018: Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysia – Returned as Senior Lecturer, Student-Centered Learning (SCL) Trainer, and Director of Enabling Learning (CETaL), where he designed and delivered seven specialized training modules on Active Learning, Flipped Classrooms, Blended Learning, E-Learning, and OBE curriculum design.
- 2019–July 2026: Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), Ethiopia – Served as both Associate Professor and President, providing executive leadership while engaging in academic instruction and research.
His research interests include Artificial Intelligence for Fault Diagnosis of Rotating Machinery, Structural Topology Optimization, Composite Materials and Fatigue Analysis, and Active Learning Pedagogy. Dr. Dereje has published over 50 journal articles and conference proceedings, authored two books and one textbook, and made significant contributions to Ethiopian quality assurance by training for the former Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA) and assisting in drafting national accreditation documents.
He has secured more than 15 research grants from various funding bodies, including the EU’s ERASMUS+ program, FRGS, PRGS, and SoTL. His current flagship projects include the EU ERASMUS+ IMPACT-HE Project (2024–2028) and an internal grant focusing on AI for Fault Diagnosis (2023–2025).
Dr. Dereje’s innovative contributions have garnered multiple accolades, including Gold and Silver Medals at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in Kuala Lumpur (2012 and 2016) for inventions such as the Conceptual Design Support Tool and the Spiral Track Gauge for Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters.
In his new role as President of Jimma University, Dr. Dereje aims to enhance research capacity, improve teaching and learning quality, and strengthen community engagement. He is committed to guiding Jimma University toward greater autonomy, fostering technological development, and actively embodying its guiding motto, “We Are in the Community.” Above all, he remains devoted to student-centered learning, innovative research, and the advancement of engineering education in Ethiopia and beyond.