The HETRIIL Platform, organized under the Ethio-German Sustainable Training and Education Program, organized by the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (#EAS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education was held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The platform focuses on Higher Education, Training and Research, and Industry Linkage, specifically targeting Universities of Applied Sciences (#UAS).
Universities of Applied Sciences, TVET, Industries, and other stakeholders participated in the event.
Mr. Fasil Woldegebriel, the Component Manager for Universities of Applied Sciences at Ethio-German GIZ Ethiopia and Djibouti, spoke at the occasion. He emphasized the importance of incorporating industry-driven demands into the curriculum, ensuring that students were trained according to industry requirements.
The goal is to foster collaboration between industry and academia, producing more entrepreneurs and ultimately achieving a self-reliant Ethiopia. This collaboration will also help industries and academia align their goals and utilize shared resources such as laboratories, human resources, and equipment.
He added that the Ethio-German Sustainable Training and Education Program has been implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia to support universities of applied sciences in developing inclusive, dynamic, and reflective curricula for their programs.
Professor Afework Kassu, the Vice President of the #EAS, also emphasized the crucial role of the HETRIIL Platform in Ethiopia’s sustainable development by fostering a strong relationship between academia and industry.
Furthermore, Professor Teketel Yohannes, the Executive Director of the EAS, stated that the aim of the forum is to ignite the process of transitioning the country to an industrial economy, making it a top priority to achieve accelerated industrial and technological progress.
During the workshop event, representatives from esteemed forum members presented their experiences, challenges, developments on the proclamation, and future reform issues related to academia-industry partnerships, UAS practical experience, opportunities, challenges, as well as an introduction to the industry-academia partnership community on NADRE (National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia).
To enhance UAS-Industry Linkages, Professor Frank Zeiglee, the Director of Applied Universities in Germany, presented experiences from German Universities of Applied Sciences, focusing on UAS, TVETs, Research Institutes, and industries. He shared 11 advantages that stimulate academia-industry linkages with the participants.
Mr. Zelalem Yimenu, the GIZ Project Coordinator at the EAS, presented the HETRIIL bylaws, and the forum participants engaged in discussions to improve and include points in the bylaws. They also elected the HETRIIL technical committee to ensure the achievement of the HETRIIL goal and mission.
In his concluding address at the Forum, Mr. Fasil not only provided work instructions but also imparted valuable advice to boost the forum initiative towards its desired outcome.
To streamline this endeavor, he underscored the critical need for strong cooperation among universities, technical and vocational education and training institutions, industries, and the government. Mr. Fasil urged all stakeholders to strengthen the platform where they can collaboratively pursue their common goals through a consortium.
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