The research and community services vice president office is responsible for coordinating conduct of basic and applied multidisciplinary researches, delivery of professional/community services, demand driven training and consultancies, institutional linkage and partnership, research publication and extension/technology transfer and indigenous knowledge and culture studies.
To effectively and efficiently deliver the mission of the vice president office, the office is organized in to five directorates namely, research and grants, community services, institutional linkage and technology transfer, publication and extension and indigenous knowledge and culture studies. Furthermore, there are two campus level directors for research, community services and institutional linkage coordination those are responsible for campus level research and community service activities. The research, community service and institutional linkage services and activities at colleges and schools’ levels are coordinated through vice deans for research and community services.
Research and publication directorate
The research undertaking at the university focuses on national and local priorities organized in to different multidisciplinary themes which is liable to revision every five years. The research themes on which the university focuses include agricultural productivity and livelihood, natural resource management, health and biomedical sciences, science, technology and innovation, history, heritage management and tourism, indigenous knowledge system, education access and quality, economic diversification and entrepreneurship, governance, peace and security. We grant on average 40 to 50 research projects per annum. The conduct of research is governed by nationally harmonized research and community services guidelines, and university level guidelines endorsed by university senate. The outputs of research is documented and made available for students and university community at research resource center. Research output is disseminated via research weeks held once in a quarter and one annual national conference. Furthermore, on average of 60 to 70 original research articles are published annually in reputable national and international journals affiliated to our university. We have five research centers where agricultural products and technologies are adapted, demonstrated and transferred to needy community.
Community services directorate
As per the MoSHE Directive No: Research 01/219 August 2019, community services directorate is mandated to deliver services to the community on the following major community service activities and priorities: 1. Training service 2. Consultancy service 3. Outreach/ development service/projects 4. Other multidisciplinary professional services Thus, the directorate has been addressing priority community problems identified in consultation with the community. The areas of services and training include capacity building in education quality and access, digital skill, healthcare delivery, health workforce in-service training, legal aid, social services for elderly and the most affected (people living with HIV chronic illness like Epilepsy and Mental illness), safe water supply and waste disposal, agricultural productivity, natural resource management, animal husbandry and financial management. To efficiently deliver the community services the university has its own teaching hospital where comprehensive healthcare services are delivered, students and health professionals are being trained. Similarly, we have a building in Bench Sheko zone high court where we deliver free legal aid for the poor. As part of community services, we have also culture and indigenous research and development center in the university compound where cultural heritage of surrounding communities are document ted and organized for further research and advancement.
University-industry linkage and Technology Transfer directorate
University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer (UIL-TT) directorate is organized to carryout duties and responsibilities related to technology transfer and industry/institutional linkages. The directorate is also responsible in coordinating and administrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) center. The office strives in building sustainable relation with different industries through Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), which helps both stakeholders in finding the ways they can work together to get the best out of their synergy. The directorate coordinates and facilitate creation, adaptation or adoption of demand driven technologies aimed to enhance multifaceted societal development. .
The objective of UIL and TT is:
• Support collaborative research with industry, and assisting researchers in securing funding to advance research results in a commercial direction.
• Commercialization of intellectual properties (IP) through licensing and creation of spin-off companies.
• Identifies type of technology that the community demand.
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the University-industry linkage and technology transfer activities.
• Provide guidance for STEM and business and technology incubation centers.
• Facilitate internship/externship process • Facilitate the linkage/partnership of industries with the institute.
• Facilitate demands from industries and community at large.
• Facilitate cluster-industry linkages for mutual benefit through sign MoU.
• Renew linkage /collaborations/ partnerships with the industry.
Dr. Abiyot Asres,
Vice President for Research & Community Service
Phone: +251 911 905554/+251 930 317989
Email: abyotasres@gmail.com / abyotas@yahoo.com / abyotasres@mtu.edu.et
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4851-9699