Arba Minch University has given a rousing welcome to 37 new PhD graduates, who were in different parts of Ethiopia and world across to pursue their doctoral studies in a well-organized ceremony held at Main Campus on 24th June, 2021. All PhD returnees were embraced by their alma mater with great enthusiasm for they are expected to build capacities of their respective streams in the university.Click here to see the pictures The program was opened by university president, Dr Damtew Darza, who welcomed new PhD returnees, saying that your achievement will build AMU’s capacity and we expect a lot from you in the years to come. Academic Affairs Vice President, Dr Alemayehu Chufamo, in his valedictory address reiterated that with returnees’ professional service, AMU stand to meet national commitment as a research university. The program began with Executive Director of School of Graduate Studies, Dr Abera Uncha, giving lowdown on PhD returnees and associated issues in presentation titled ‘Graduation Rate of PG Programs 2018-2021,’ he said, in 4 years 13 PhD returnees are from College of Natural & Computational Sciences, Water Technology Institute 9, College of Agricultural Sciences 6, College of Business & Economics 4, College of Social Science & Humanities 3, College of Medicine & Health Sciences 1 and Institute of Technology 1. Dwelling deeper, he said, university is worried about students pursuing Master and PhD studies aren’t completing their courses in stipulated 2 and 4 years; citing statistics, he said, in 2018, 103 students were enrolled in Water Technology Institute’s Master program of which 14 graduated in 2020 and remaining 86 are still striving. Institute of Technology’s 148 only 31 and 28 could graduate in 2019 and 2020. Similarly, from 95 students of College of Natural & Computational Sciences 12 & 59 students graduated in 2019 and 2020; of College of Social Science and Humanities’ 45 only 23 graduated in 2020. Out of 68 from College of Medicine & Health Sciences 13 & 30 graduated in 2019 and 2020. The scenario in College of Agricultural Sciences hasn’t been rosy as of 20 registered in 2018, only 4 could pass through in 2020 while College of Business & Economics has 80 of which 21 could complete Master, similar was the case in School of Law and School of Pedagogy & Behavioral Sciences, he added. Researcher, Dr Addisu Fekadu, said, we have revolutionized Enset processing technology by designing and manufacturing 4 automated machines i.e. corm scrapping, pseudo-stem processing, squeezing machines and innovative fermentation jars through project – ‘Innovative Enset Technology for Gentle Processing, Value-added Products, Safe Storage and Longer Shelf-life’. He added that new corm scrapping machine can rapidly pulverize fleshy part of Enset, Squeezing Machine is more efficient than previous one and fermentation being most crucial stage, we are using glazed and air-tight jars that quicken fermentation process. And most importantly, we have developed best ‘starter culture’ that has literally transformed Enset processing, he emphasized. The program was interspersed with discussions; AMU officials, staff, students and researchers were in attendance. Dr Nebiyu Yemane was compere on the occasion. Source: Arba Minch University
(NNN-AGENCIES) — An air strike killed at least 43 people in the town of Togoga in Ethiopia’s Tigray region on Tuesday, a medical official told Reuters, after residents said new fighting had flared in recent days north of the regional capital Mekelle.
Ethiopian military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane did not confirm or deny the incident. He said air strikes were a common military tactic and that government forces do not target civilians.
The bomb hit a market at around 1:00 p.m., according to a woman who said her husband and two-year-old daughter had been injured.
“We didn’t see the plane, but we heard it,” she said on Wednesday. “When the explosion happened, everyone ran out. After a time we came back and were trying to pick up the injured.”
The woman said the market had been full of families, and she did not see any armed forces in the area. “Many, many” people had been killed, she said.
The medical official confirmed at least 43 fatalities, citing witnesses and first responders.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the head of a government task force on Tigray did not respond to requests for comment on the incident.
News of the airstrike came as Ethiopian officials counted ballots from national and regional parliamentary elections held this week in seven of the nation’s 10 regions. [
No voting was held in Tigray, where the military has been battling forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the region’s former ruling party, since November. Security concerns and problems with ballot papers also delayed voting in two other regions.
Residents reported that TPLF forces had entered several towns north of Mekelle in the past three days, withdrawing from one of them within hours.
The official and two other health workers helping with the response in Togoga said on Wednesday that Ethiopian soldiers were blocking the main road from Mekelle to the town and preventing ambulances from reaching the scene.
“Patients are dying right now,” said the official.
He said two ambulances had been able to reach the town via a back road late on Tuesday but did not have the necessary equipment and were not being allowed to leave.
He said the teams had counted at least 40 dead at the scene, three people had died overnight, and there were 44 critically wounded patients needing treatment.
Another medical worker said around 20 health workers in six ambulances had tried to reach the wounded on Tuesday but soldiers stopped them at a checkpoint.
“They told us we couldn’t go to Togoga. We stayed more than one hour at the checkpoint trying to negotiate. We had a letter from the health bureau – we showed them. But they said it was an order.”
Military spokesman Getnet denied that the military was blocking ambulances. — NNN-AGENCIES
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK