Welcome to the official website of Axum University (AKU)! Aksum University, located in the beautiful city of Axum, is known for its green surroundings, rich heritage, and warm hospitality. The city of Axum is rich in culture, tolerance, and other values, and the university prioritizes indigenous knowledge. We are pleased to welcome visitors from around the world to explore our academic offerings and the vibrant attractions of the region.
Aksum University was established in 2007 and is a second-generation Ethiopian public higher education institution. According to the reforms announced by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, the university is categorized as an applied science university. Its primary focus is to provide training in fields relevant to the country’s economic development. Additionally, the university works closely with the private sector to develop and implement training programs that meet the needs of the labor market.
The office of the Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer operates in line with the Higher Education Proclamation 1152/2019 and the mission and vision of the university. It is responsible for leading, coordinating, and facilitating the university’s research and technology transfer programs, taking into account the needs of the region and the country. The office aims to address challenges and contribute to the overall development of the country through technology transfer. Its main tasks include:
- Develop and implement the institution’s research, community engagement, technology transfer, and university-industry linkage plans and policies;
- Monitor the implementation of the institution’s research, community engagement, technology transfer, and university-industry linkage strategies/plans;
- Promote interdisciplinary and collaborative thematic research projects that can have a major impact on national development;
- Promote the researcher to publish their research output in international/ local journal;
- Provide resources to help interdisciplinary teams develop competitive proposals for external research funding;
- Lead financial administration, procurement and transport services related to research, community engagement, technology transfer, and university-industry linkage of the University;
- Oversee the delivery of relevant skill training to the academic staff, students and other employees of the institution;
- Create a conducive environment and organizational culture for research, community engagement, technology transfer, and university-industry linkage;
- Oversee the general administration of collaborative project grants or funds for research, community engagement, technology transfer, and university-industry linkage activities;
- Support and oversee the institution’s and its members’ consultancy engagements with the industry or other institutions.
- Provide resources to help interdisciplinary teams develop competitive proposals for external research funding;
- Oversee ethical standards for the conduct of research (including issues of scientific integrity, financial management, financial and business conflicts of interest, grant and contract compliance, etc.;
- Support periodic research symposium on interdisciplinary topics dealing with issues pertaining to faculty, students, and staff on critical national issues and research problems.
The university invites researchers, research institutions, government and non-government organizations, universities, and any other interested parties to collaborate and work with us in the areas of research, community engagement/service, technology transfer, and innovation. The university has highly experienced senior academic staff, as well as dedicated young researchers who are committed to working with partners.
The following offices report to the Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer (VPRTT) and support the research and technology transfer functions.
- Research and Technology Transfer Vice President’s Special Assistant Office (RTTVP/SAO)
- Research, Publication, Ethics, and Dissemination Directorate (RPEDD)
- Community Engagement Directorate (CED)
- Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate (ILTTD)
Selekleka Research and Technology Transfer directorate (SRTTD)
Office of the Vice president for Research and Technology Transfer Organizational chart
Contact:
Research and Technology Transfer Vice President
Dr. Mekonen Aregai (Associate professor)
Addresses:
Email: mekonen2001@gmail.com
Office Tel: +251914314645
Aksum University main campus, B-26, R-205, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box: 1010
Brief Prose description of Research, Publication, Ethics, and Dissemination Office (RPEDO)
The office of research, publication, ethics, and dissemination directorate is a service unit that coordinates the research and publication activities of the University. The office primarily provides the support environment for educational research projects and research skills development. Among the tasks of the RPED is to keep the faculty and students on track in meeting the Institutional Strategic Goals in terms of producing relevant and publishable research that is groundbreaking and useful to the community and society as a whole.
As AkU endeavors to become a leading institution in advancing research insights from across disciplines that are applicable to the national and global context, the University Research Office serves as the research arm in:
- Intensifying faculty and support staff involvement in research through a strengthened awareness of the University’s core areas of research via sponsorship of seminars and trainings and/or workshops;
- Monitoring and coordinating the research operations and/or activities on campus;
- Sustaining the culture of research in the University by continually disseminating pertinent research information to all concerned offices.
Hierarchical task force
Number and Qualification of staff member
- The research and publication directorate have 3 teachers in different positions of responsibility. There are 3 officers under the directorate namely Research Officer and Publication and Documentation Officer, and Indigenous knowledge officer. There are also 7 Vice dean for research and community engagement, university-industry, and technology transfer Officers of the Colleges/Institutes working in collaboration with the Directorate. In addition, there are 2 teachers at the directorate and officer level at Axum Institute of Technology. Looking at the gender composition, all officers under the Directorate of Research, Publication, Ethics, and Dissemination are male. There are also two female support administrative staff.
Mission
The institution aims to solve local, national and global problems and achieve sustainable development by reorganizing and conducting demand-based research and performing indigenous knowledge.
Vision
Our institution is “seeing to be the first preferred educational institution by 2022 by providing quality education, conducting research and community Engagement.”
Values
- Quality and excellence in research
- Academic freedom and professionalism,
- Decentralized management,
- Unity in diversity,
- Excellence in effort,
- Student oriented approach,
- Social responsibility and service to the public,
- Appropriate care for employees,
- Accountability for performance;
- Concern for the environment
Objectives
The Office of Research, Publication, Ethics, and Dissemination has developed goals and corresponding objectives in order to achieve their mission and vision
- Foster an inclusive, culture of quality, excellence and continuous strategic improvement
- Leverage partnerships and collaborations to drive research and innovation
- Translating and commercializing research discoveries for societal impact
- Advance the university’s research brand and reputation
- Improve researcher productivity and satisfaction by reducing administrative burden
- Increase the diversity of the participants in research commercialization, with an emphasis on female
- Promoting research, community engagement and technology transfer,
- Improving the leadership, procedures and organization of the institution,
- To use public resources in accordance with the government law and responsibly.
- Increasing the internationalization of higher education.
- Provide exceptional research administrative services while effectively managing risks and opportunities
- Improve integration of research and education
- Improve translation of research into the public benefit
Future ambition and Target
The ambition of the office will be to meet the following targets
- Increasing the number of articles published in reputed research journals
- Conducting research works based on indigenous knowledge
- The number of researchers involved in research work should be increased
- It should be fixed as doing joint research by strengthening international relations
- Increase the number of joint research projects with Ethiopian HEIs from local higher education institutions
- Signing memorandums of understanding by strengthening international relations;
- Providing research works by conducting institutional, national and international trainings, conferences/seminars
- Increasing the number of professors visiting our university from by improving international visiting professors.
- Increasing the participation of academic female teachers in research activities
- Collegiality and team spirit in transforming the research to technology transfer and community engagement.
Stakeholders and customers
As it is important to create relationships with various partners, increase the mutual interest-oriented relationships and make full use of the material, financial and training opportunities available from partners.
- Strengthening the institutional links and relationships created with stakeholders and partners
- Creating strong institutional links and relationships with new stakeholders and partners
- To strengthen the institutional links and relationships created before with the stakeholders
- Work closely with the university’s academic community
- Getting graduate students to participate in various research projects
- Responding to problems from the local community supported by research
The expectation of the office from its stakeholders is to help the office meet its strategic objective by contributing their experience and perspective to research projects. The office also expect to get necessary material resources support. In addition, working closely with different organizations and industries is crucial to implement successful projects.
Research, Publication, Ethics, and Dissemination Directorate
Dr. Berihu Tekluu (Associate professor)
Addresses:
Email: tekluberih@gmail.com
Office Tel: +251913308381
Aksum University main campus, B-26, R-207, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box: 1010
A Strategic Plan for the Community Engagement Directorate of Aksum University
The Community Engagement Directorate is established to provide outreach services primarily to university graduates who are employed in the mandate areas so as to ensure sustainable development. The services are provided freely or with fair payment. The outreach services focus on refreshing previously learned or introducing new ones; or improving unqualified graduates. Under the Directorate, there are two PhD and one MA holders. The community engagements are provided by various faculties of the university.
Organization and Management
The Community Engagement Directorate is under the Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer. Currently, the Directorate has two offices under it: Community Engagement Office and the Free Legal Aid Office. The Free Legal Aid Office, in turn, has three centres in Aksum, Adwa, and Shire Endasilase. Each legal aid centre has a secretary and a legal instructor is assigned for each centre everyday. Moreover, students are assigned to the legal aid centres for apprenticeship. The Organization and Management of the Community Engagement Directorate is presented as follow.
| Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer |
Figure 1. Structure of the Community Engagement Directorate
Vision, Mission and Core Values
The Community Engagement Directorate of Aksum University is guided by its vision, mission and core values
Vision
The Community Engagement Directorate of Aksum University aspires to be a University of first choice in community Engagement by 2030.
Mission
The Community Engagement Directorate’s mission is serving the community by providing responsive community engagement that ensures quality and equity of education.
Core Values
To achieve its vision and shoulder its missions, the Community Engagement Directorate is guided by some core values such as excellence through perseverance, participatory, academic freedom and professionalism, shared leadership, unity in diversity, customer center decision-makings, etc….
Strategic Objective of the Community Engagement Directorate
In order to increase customer and stakeholder satisfaction, the Community Engagement Directorate intends to
- Enhance Efficient Utilization of Resource
- Enhance Revenue
- Enhance Access to consultancy and Community engagement
- Enhance the relevance and quality of consultancy and community engagement
- Improve equity of community engagement
- Improve staff professional competency
- Improve supply of infrastructure and facilities
- Promote a positive working environment
To achieve the aforementioned strategic objective, the Community Engagement Directorate will;
- provide demand-driven consultancy and community engagement ,
- introduce accountability and transparency,
- revise consultancy and community engagement guideline to fit to the applied science differentiation,
- communicate community engagement related decisions, policies, directives strategies and guidelines,
- commercialize knowledge and technologies through consultancy service,
- strengthen university-community linkage
- conduct periodic meeting with customers and stakeholders to identify priority areas,
- strengthen national and international partnership,
- mainstream peace, persons with special needs, gender, and diversity as cross cutting issues,
- Provide incentives and create collaborations with community.
University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate (UILTTD)
Recently, University-industry linkage role in the economic development of a country is catching the attention of academia, practitioners, and policymakers both at national and international levels. The linkage has enormous importance for technological advancement and economic competitiveness of a country. As Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate, we focus on technology innovation and transfer that solves industries and community problems, incubating excellent idea on competitive basis, disseminating technologies, consultancy services, identifying industries that have strategic benefits, oversees internship and externship programs, and joint applied technology projects. Based on the new reform of Ethiopian higher institution, AkU is differentiated as University of Applied Sciences (UAS), thus, the directorate is tirelessly working to bring tangible change in the industries and communities.
Indeed, Industry linkage demands synchronize of different actors; this in turn helps to produce competent graduates through internship, externship, and participation of industry practitioners in higher institutions and training institutions to share their practical skills. Collaboration of University and Industries plays significant role through efficient utilization of resources (Material, Financial, human power, etc.) to boost the economy of the notion through technological advancement. Additionally, the directorate creates conducive environment to transfer knowledge and skills to the industry, and vice versa.
The ILTT is recently established directorate, so far more than 16 technologies projects are done by the University fund. From these technologies two projects; SIMS version2, and Electronic Medical Record System are disseminated and serving AkU communities. In the coming years, most of the prototype technologies and new developed technology projects will be poured to the industries and communities.
In sum, the objective of the ILTT is;
- Creating a smooth environment to academic staff and students to boost their practical skill
- Facilitating the participation of industrial experts in research, technology transfer, community engagement and teaching activities of the University
- Facilitating the interfacing and networking activities of academic, research and development institutes, industries and financial institutions
- Disseminating knowledge, technology and research generated by the university to improve the manufacturing and service sectors of the country
- Fostering the culture of technology innovation of students and academics staff in business and technology incubation center of the University
Vision
- The Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer directorate of Aksum University aspires to be the best and a center of gravity among Applied Science Universities in the nation in innovation, knowledge and technology transfer, and collaboration to support the economic development goals of the nation.
Mission
- Aksum University is committed to providing students and staff the possibility to contribute to the sustainable development of society and community. In addition, Aksum University strives for learning, developing and innovating by means of practice-based research and education. Furthermore, together with professionals from businesses and organizations, Aksum University is devoted to heightening graduates’ employability through innovative approach and entrepreneurial practices as they have to be competent in national and international markets.
Core values
| Integrity | Customer focus |
| Commitment to excellence | Teamwork |
| Innovation | Collaboration and partnership |
Contact address
Seare Tajebe (PhD)
Director, Industry Linkage & Technology Transfer Directorate
Phone +251977061499
Email searetaje@aku.edu.et
Shishay Kahsay Weldearegay (PhD)
Technology Innovation, incubation and transfer officer
Phone +251913627725
E mail Shishay.k2002@aku.edu.et