A Special Space Science Summer Training for talented high school students kicked off at Jimma University, College of Social Sciences and Humanities’ hall today. The objective is to train and nurture Jimma zone’s different secondary and high school selected students in Space Technology, Astronomy, and Aerospace Engineering fields.
Mr. Jifar Raya, Chairman of the Jimma Branch under the Ethiopian Space Science Society, made a welcome speech and said, “It is my pleasure to welcome you talented and wonderful students, University academicians, engineers, and honored trainers to this Space Science summer school training, which enables us to promote, development, education, and research.
He added Jimma University was one of the founding consortiums and the lead university in the consortium in establishing ESSI/ESSSGSI to institutionalize space science in Ethiopia.
Following that, an opening speech has been made by Dr. Ashenafi Belay, research and community service v/p advisor representing Dr. Netsanet Workineh vice president for research and community service. He thanked the organizers and trainers of this training, who are working in this untapped field, and Jimma University’s new role as a research University in nurturing and developing the potential of future young scientists.
He added, “You high-caliber students who have got training of this sort, I think you make use of this training to push forward the science, technology, and space science endeavor to the future, which Jimma University is capitalizing and working on these kinds of training to ensure the development of the country.”
During the course of the training, immediately after each training students and trainers engage in debates in the form of question and answer sessions.
Trainers are Biruk Terefe, Kirubel Menberu, Lealem Kimfe, Kinfemikael W/ Mariam, and Sisay Fantaun from Ethiopian Space Science Society Main Office.
In this four days training, about 80 students from Jimma zone different secondary and high schools are taking part.