The Kotebe University of Education F.A.I.T.H project internship crew, under the leadership of TANDEM Internship, received an enthusiastic welcome from the Salash School community in Addis Ababa. December 25/ 2024.
During their visit, experts conducted thorough school observations and evaluated the collaborative efforts of interns, school mentors, and campus advisors. This initiation aims to rollout the toolboxes of F.A.I.T.H project and provide valuable hands-on experience for aspiring educators. The highlight of the visit was the students’ excitement as they donned their “Gowon” attire, a symbol of their journey towards becoming esteemed members of the teaching profession. This attire not only signifies their commitment to education but also their candidacy for the prestigious Teaching Carrier. The positive reception and the collaborative spirit observed at Salash School underscore the importance of such internships in fostering a supportive and innovative educational environment.
Wolaita Sodo University (WSU) hosted a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Awareness Campaign under the Tandem F initiative. The workshop, titled “Integrating the SDGs into Teaching, Research, and University Governance Systems,” sought to build foundational knowledge of the SDGs and explore strategies for embedding them into the university’s core functions. The campaign aimed to achieve to establish a foundational understanding of SDGs, sharing global best practices, exploring effective integration strategies, and developing actionable plans to embed SDGs into WSU’s operations. The workshop focused on four key topics:
Conceptualizing SDGs and Global Trends in University Contexts: An overview of the SDGs and their relevance to higher education.
Global Universities’ Trends in SDG Implementation: Best practices from leading universities globally.
Integrating SDGs into Key University Operations: Practical approaches to embedding SDGs into teaching, research, Community Service and Technology Transfer (CSTT), and governance.
Strategies for SDG Integration in Universities: Developing actionable plans to align university operations with the SDGs. The event commenced with a welcome speech by Ms. Adanech Teshome, F.A.I.T.H. Project Work Package Six (WP6) Coordinator presented an overview of the project’s goals and its significance for Ethiopian Universities of Applied Sciences. In addition, Dr. Guchie Gulie, the President of WSU, delivered the opening remarks and emphasized the importance of aligning WSU’s core operations with the SDGs to support its transition into a full-fledged Applied Sciences University. Dr. Guchie highlighted the workshop’s role in improving curricula, enhancing research quality, and refining governance systems to boost the university’s contributions to regional and national development. Dr. Demissie Dalelo, a Tandem F-SDGs expert, presented an overview of the project’s 18-month journey. He detailed achievements, including the development of toolboxes, validation workshops, pilot testing, and lessons learned. Dr. Demissie highlighted the workshop as a pivotal step in rolling out the initiative. The workshop featured interactive presentations, activity-based sessions, and group discussions, offering participants an opportunity to engage with the topics and develop strategies for SDG integration. Key university stakeholders participated, including top management, directors, deans, associate deans, senior staff, and experts from the F.A.I.T.H. project. The closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Zewudineh Tomas, Vice President for Research and Community Engagement. He stressed the need for WSU to align its teaching, research, and governance systems with the principles of Applied Sciences Universities. Dr. Zewudineh expressed gratitude to the project donors (European Union), Ministry of Education (MoE), and the organizers for their efforts in supporting this transformative initiative.
The Jigjiga University Internship Tandem Team (Tandem A) held a students’ and mentors’ internship awareness-based workshop on December 19/2024.
The workshop was officially opened by the Jigjiga University APDPD Ahmed Arab (Assi.Professor). During his opening speech, he announced that F.A.I.T.H project has been working to make sure the transformation process of the EUASs. He additionally stated that each tandem character rollout helps the implementation of the toolbox designs through out the 15 Applied Science Universities. He notified the internees and their respective mentors to bring authentic internship output as an input data for the next Ethiopian Ministry of Education’s work package to be disseminated in the rest Ethiopian Universities of Applied Sciences. Zufan Gebrehiwet(Assi.professor), LEAR of WP8 of JJU_F.A.I.T.H presented the overview of the project for the attendees of the workshop; various crucial discussion points have been raised by students and the mentors on how generally is F.A.I.T.H project contributing to EUASs currently. On top of that, the participants made discussions how the internship rollout smoothly moves forward from the perspectives of students’ class assignments, mentors’ University instruction burdens, and Hosting company’s flexibility to entertain productive internship rollout. The tandem experts have been going through explaining the benefits of this internship that the participants confirmed the clarity on. The Tandem A members Binyam Hailu and Dawit Gezahegn introduced the piloted toolboxes, provided internship rollout activities’ instructions, and the entire action plan of the internship rollout to the participants while making their awareness creation presentation. At last, the LEAR of the WP8 officially closed the workshop giving thanks and promoting the F.A.I.T.H project Social media links and website to the participants.
Jigjiga University Tandem C (Applied Research) organized awareness creation and consultation workshop focusing on demand driven research and Technology/Knowledge transfer on Dec 5/2024. The workshop’s specific theme was revising the university’s Research, Publication, and Technology Transfer Policies and Guidelines. The event was attended by university leadership, college-level research and technology transfer coordinators, Jigjiga University-F.A.I.T.H project core team, as well as experts from various sessions of the University. The program commenced with an opening remark by Dr. Shermake Jama, Director of the Research and Technology Transfer Directorate. He emphasized the importance of such workshops for the university community to raise awareness and gather inputs that would inform the revision of the university’s policies and guidelines. Dr. Shermake also expressed his gratitude to the F.A.I.T.H project for spearheading the initiative, aligning with the office’s plans for policy revision. He highlighted the office’s strong support for the implementation of the Tandem Pilot Project. Mrs. Zufan Gebrehiwot, Lear of the F.A.I.T.H Project Work Package 8 (WP8), presented an overview of the project focusing on the main objectives and achievements of the project to date. Mr. Abdi Abdilahi, the coordinator of the Tandem C, presented on the activities, tasks performed, lessons learned, and next steps of the pilot project and the JJU research Gudiline and Policy review results. The workshop also featured group discussions during which participants shared their insights. These discussions were moderated by Kownin Abdimahad, a member of the Tandem C team. Participants provided valuable input on revising the university’s research and technology transfer policies and guidelines to ensure it will be beneficial and relevant to the community. The event concluded with closing remarks from Mr. Maslah Issa, Director of the President’s Office. He underscored the importance of the Tandem Pilot Projects being rolled out at Jigjiga University, noting that they serve as a model for the 15 applied science universities across the country. Mr. Maslah reaffirmed Jigjiga University’s full commitment to the successful implementation of the Tandem Projects and their objectives. On behalf of the university’s leadership, he thanked the organizers of the workshop, especially the Tandem C team, the Jigjiga University-F.A.I.T.H project core team, the European Union (EU) and other partner stakeholders for their support for the project effectiveness.
Tandem Internship Training Session was successfully Conducted at Kotebe University of Education
Dec 3, 2024, Kotebe, Addis Ababa Kotebe University of Education hosted a comprehensive training session for school mentors, university internship advisors, and participating intern students as part of the rollout activities under Project F.A.I.T.H, Work Package 4. This initiation marks a significant step in the project’s commitment to enhance the quality of internship programs through collaborative engagement in Ethiopian Universities of Applied Science. During the session, the Project Coordinator, Dr. Eprem T., and his team delivered a key message outlining the rationale behind Project F.A.I.T.H, the progress achieved to date and the expectations from stakeholders to ensure the successful rollout of internship toolboxes. His speech emphasized the importance of collaboration and active participation in achieving project goals. Tandem experts Dr. Bekele W. and Mrs. Mignot shared insights into the structure and purpose of the internship toolbox, highlighting valuable lessons learned during the mini-pilot implementation phase. Their presentation shed light on practical approaches and strategies to optimize the internship experience for all participants. Additionally, Mr. Hawarya, the Practicum Coordinator at Kotebe University of Education, provided a detailed overview of internship procedures, ethical principles, and the critical need for cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders involved in the program. The event was concluded with a vibrant discussion and idea exchange, where partners reaffirmed their commitment to play their respective roles in ensuring the success of the internship rollout. This collaborative effort reflects a shared dedication to enhance the educational and professional outcomes of internship programs under Project F.A.I.T.H
