Bahir Dar University
Encyclopedia
Bahir Dar University is a university in the city of Bahir Dar
, the capital of the Amhara National Regional State
in Ethiopia
. The University is a combination of two smaller institutes formed earlier, after the departments were gradually raised to a degree level starting from 1996.
. The objective of the institute was to train skilled technicians in the fields of Agro-Mechanics, Industrial Chemistry and Metal, Textile
, Electrical and Wood
Technologies. The Institute had to undergo number of program changes within the area of technology until the commencement of the Engineering degree program 1996. Throughout these program changes, the institute did all what it could to supply the labor market with the best technicians who are now running most of the businesses in the industrial, educational, agricultural and other sectors.
The other institution of higher learning was Bahir Dar Teachers College, which had been established more than three decades ago. Its original name was the Academy of Pedagogy, and it was created in 1972 by the tripartite agreement of the Imperial Government, UNESCO
, and UNDP and started actual work in the following year under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. Its general objective was to train multipurpose primary education professionals capable of adopting primary education to rural life and rural development. Its specific objectives were to train primary school teacher trainers, supervisors, educational leaders, adult education organizers and community development agents.
Soon after its beginning, however, the program only focused on offering pedagogics as a major area of study and Amharic
, English, Geography and Mathematics as minor courses. Later, diploma programs were introduced when in 1996 the diploma offering departments were raised to degree level. All in all the college provided instructors to the different levels of the education sector through its regular and extension programs.
The two institutions were integrated into Bahir Dar University following the Council of Ministers regulation no. 60/1999. The University was inaugurated on May 6, 2000, and the Polytechnic Institute and the Teachers College became the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Education, respectively. In addition, the university added two more faculties, that of Business and Economics and the faculty of Law, which were established in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Bahir Dar University was officially inaugurated in May 2001.
The Engineering Faculty has the following departments: Civil, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical, Textile, Computer Science and the newly added water resources engineering and Food and biochemical technology departments.The university has also started postgraduate programme in thermal and manufacturing under the department of mechanical engineering.
The Land Administration Program of Bahirdar University, which started last year (2008) in the regular program, is the first of its kind in Ethiopia. The theme of the program are: land law, land dispute resolution mechanisms, land valuation and compensation techniques, modern land measurement and registration, land certification and updating, cadastre and computer mapping, as well as land tenure studies. This demand driven training program is to enable sustainable management of our land resources through ensuring security of tenure among land holders.
Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is a city in north western Ethiopia. It is the capital of the Amhara Region .Administratively, Bahir Dar is considered a Special Zone, placing it midway between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa which are organized as chartered cities , and cities like Debre Marqos and Dessie, which are...
, the capital of the Amhara National Regional State
Amhara Region
Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar....
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The University is a combination of two smaller institutes formed earlier, after the departments were gradually raised to a degree level starting from 1996.
Establishment
Bahir Dar University was created from the merger of two former higher institutions. The first was Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which formed one of the faculties of the University, was established in 1963 under the technical cooperation between the Government of USSR and the Imperial Government of EthiopiaPolitics of Ethiopia
Politics of Ethiopia takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government.The prime minister is chosen by the parliament. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and...
. The objective of the institute was to train skilled technicians in the fields of Agro-Mechanics, Industrial Chemistry and Metal, Textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, Electrical and Wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
Technologies. The Institute had to undergo number of program changes within the area of technology until the commencement of the Engineering degree program 1996. Throughout these program changes, the institute did all what it could to supply the labor market with the best technicians who are now running most of the businesses in the industrial, educational, agricultural and other sectors.
The other institution of higher learning was Bahir Dar Teachers College, which had been established more than three decades ago. Its original name was the Academy of Pedagogy, and it was created in 1972 by the tripartite agreement of the Imperial Government, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, and UNDP and started actual work in the following year under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. Its general objective was to train multipurpose primary education professionals capable of adopting primary education to rural life and rural development. Its specific objectives were to train primary school teacher trainers, supervisors, educational leaders, adult education organizers and community development agents.
Soon after its beginning, however, the program only focused on offering pedagogics as a major area of study and Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
, English, Geography and Mathematics as minor courses. Later, diploma programs were introduced when in 1996 the diploma offering departments were raised to degree level. All in all the college provided instructors to the different levels of the education sector through its regular and extension programs.
The two institutions were integrated into Bahir Dar University following the Council of Ministers regulation no. 60/1999. The University was inaugurated on May 6, 2000, and the Polytechnic Institute and the Teachers College became the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Education, respectively. In addition, the university added two more faculties, that of Business and Economics and the faculty of Law, which were established in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Bahir Dar University was officially inaugurated in May 2001.
Programmes
Besides the disciplines already listed, Bahir Dar also has an institute of Textile and Garment, the only one in Ethiopia, as well as a school of Agriculture. Moreover, the university has started postgraduate programmes in the fields of Mathematics, pedagogical science, Amharic, physics. It has also started the Institute of Land Administration. There are currently plans to add other postgraduate fields of study.The Engineering Faculty has the following departments: Civil, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical, Textile, Computer Science and the newly added water resources engineering and Food and biochemical technology departments.The university has also started postgraduate programme in thermal and manufacturing under the department of mechanical engineering.
The Land Administration Program of Bahirdar University, which started last year (2008) in the regular program, is the first of its kind in Ethiopia. The theme of the program are: land law, land dispute resolution mechanisms, land valuation and compensation techniques, modern land measurement and registration, land certification and updating, cadastre and computer mapping, as well as land tenure studies. This demand driven training program is to enable sustainable management of our land resources through ensuring security of tenure among land holders.