News

Ethiopian Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency Ambassador Redwan Hussein visit Institute of Technology in Carlow

23/04/2018

The Ethiopian Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency Ambassador Redwan Hussein accompanied representatives from both Wolaita Sodo University (WSU) in Ethiopia and from University College Dublin (UCD) on a visit to the Institute of Technology in Carlow recently.

WSU is relatively new but it already has a student population of 30 thousand.  WSU colleagues are in Ireland for three months in order to build an enabling environment for the sharing of education and research between Wolaita and Ireland as part of a 4-year Horizon 2020 funded partnership called ‘Building Resilience Through Education (BRTE)’ which brings together academia, private and NGO organisations from Europe and Africa.

Dr Pat Gibbons, Director, UCD Centre for Humanitarian Action at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, and the co-ordinator of the BRTE project explained that ‘Due to the protracted and recurring nature of climatic shocks and stresses in this area of Ethiopia, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the way aid is delivered to meet immediate life-saving assistance while working towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.’  He added that ‘this partnership has identified education as a key factor in bringing about this transformative change and over the next 4-years the partnership aims to build local agency by supporting the education, research and innovation capacity of the Wolaita region.

During the visit the group met with Institute of Technology Carlow teaching and research leaders as well as experts in industry support, innovation, academic quality, library information systems, life-ling learning and internationalisation.

The Director of Institute Planning and Research at the Institute of Technology in Carlow who Dr, David Ryan who co-ordinated the event, said ‘the visit from Wolaita Sodo University representatives has allowed Institute of Technology Carlow personnel to share best practice in terms of innovation in teaching, research and engagement with industry and society.  As Irelands sectoral leader in life-long learning and in innovative and collaborative teaching and research, the institute is delighted to share our experience and expertise in order to support countries such as Ethiopia who are committed to providing  access to higher level education and the resulting benefits in terms of regional socio-economic development’.

ENDS