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K-State Today

April 26, 2013

Ethiopian delegation on campus today to learn about U.S. public universities

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

Eight Ethiopian university presidents are visiting Kansas State University to discuss how public universities work in the U.S. Their visit begins today and lasts until Saturday.

The eight presidents and their universities include:

  • Kindeya Gebrehiwot, acting president of Mekelle University     
  • Baylie Damtie, president of Bahir Dar University
  • Mebrahtom Mesfin, president of Axum University    
  • Mengesha Admassu, president of University of Gondar      
  • Yosef Mamo, president of Hawassa University         
  • Fikre Lemessa, president of Jimma University
  • Girma Amente, president of Haramaya University
  • Zaid Negash, president of Adigrat University

The visit to Kansas State University is a follow-up to a summer 2012 visit to Ethiopia by a U.S. delegation that included Kansas State University.

During their visit at Kansas State University, the Ethiopian delegation will meet with faculty in agriculture, engineering and other STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — fields. The delegation will meet with university faculty and administrators to discuss faculty development, information resources, university governance and areas of collaboration. The delegation will also visit Hale Library to discuss the importance of free Internet as vital to national development.

The presidents are visiting Kansas State University after visits with Texas Tech University and Oklahoma State University. Kristine Young, Kansas State University assistant provost in the office of international programs, traveled to Texas Tech University earlier this week to spend additional time with the presidents.

In June 2012, a 15-member U.S. delegation traveled to Ethiopia to discuss was to collaborate and partner with existing and emerging Ethiopian universities.

The U.S. delegation included representatives from Kansas State University, Texas Tech University, Langston University, Tarleton State University, Texas State University, Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University. The three Kansas State University faculty members who attended included Young as well as Vara Prasad and Tesfaye Tesso, who are both associate professors of agronomy.