WU, together with partners Jimma University, University of Stavanger, Norway have kicked-off digitally a collaborative project: “Institutional Network for Design and Manufacturing Education & Training (ENDMET)”. A project funded for the next six years by the Norwegian programme for capacity development in higher education and research for development (NORHED II) Project.
Brief Summary of the Project
Institutional Network for Design and Manufacturing Education & Training (INDMET) project is a 6-year partnership project between Faculty of Science and Technology of University of Stavanger (UiS) in Norway, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Jimma Institute of Technology (JiT) in Jimma University (JU) and Engineering and Technology College at Wollega University (WU) in Ethiopia.
The project aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of partners in the south to improve the quality of engineering education, and technical and vocational training. Project activities will focus on Design and Manufacturing Engineering and outreach activities to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The project uses experience from the UiS team on applying problem-based learning approaches for better learning, creativity and self-employability in the south.
The Project will have four parts:
- Education
- Research
- TVET (Industries) and
- Institutional capacity building.
The education component will develop the workforce (of which at least 50% will be females) within Design and Manufacturing Engineering.
New PhD programs in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing and MSc program in Design Engineering will be developed and launched at JU and WU; and existing programs will be revised and diversified for TVET teachers.
Key outputs include: 80 graduates (50 at JU and 30 at WU) in MSc degree, among which 30 (18 from JU and 12 from WU) are awarded full scholarship for MSc studies; 50 TVET teachers and engineers from local industries every other year trained (3D modeling & digital tools) through annual summer schools; One semester mobility grants for 12 female or marginalized students, 8 PhD researchers (4 from JU and 4 from WU) and 3 Post-Doc researchers (1from WU and 2from JU). Ph.D.,
Post-Doc and collaboration research will focus on local problems by infusing innovation using rapid prototyping technology test centers in Mega research and gender-responsive innovation in product design and development.
Wollega University’s top management would like express its great gratitude to all leaders and staffs from all partnering universities, who are behind this incredible project. Special thanks goes to Professor Hirpha G. Lemu from Stavanger University, and NORHED project of Norway.
