A delegation KFW Development Bank of Germany led by Dr. Achim Jaup – Senior Engineer and Technical Expert, and Dr Josef Most, Team Leader of NIRAS Germany GmbH visited Hawassa University on October 26, 2026, to follow up the implementation status of Hawassa university laboratory project established with lab equipment they donated to advance the academic, technical, and research activities of the Institute of Technology (IOT) and beyond.
President of Hawassa University, Dr. Chirotaw Ayele, warmly welcomed the delegation and expressed a heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Germany and KFW for their generous support through the provision of laboratory equipment. Dr. Chirotaw emphasized that the donated equipment would play an important role in strengthening practical training, supporting industrial development, and enhancing the university’s capacity to produce skilled professionals and provide extended community engagements.
Prof. Mihret Dananto, Scientific Director of IOT at HU, also underscored the importance of the equipment in advancing technical and vocational education and training (TVET), noting that access to modern laboratory facilities is essential for developing practical skills relevant to the industry. He also thanked the university administration for investing 30 million birr for the eight laboratory establishment and basic infrastructure to accommodate the advanced equipment shipped all the way from Germany to Hawassa, Ethiopia. Citing the presence of Hawassa Industrial Park and Yirgalem Agro Processing Industrial Park in HU's vicinity and referring to the fact that HU coordinates nine other universities in southern Ethiopia on university-industry linkage, Prof. Mihret underlined the donation as an enabling contribution for the university to become a technology and innovation hub.
Dr. Ing. Fisiha Getachew, Vice President for Academic Affairs at HU, also underscored the broader benefits of the donated equipment noting that the facilities serve as valuable training resources not only for Hawassa University students but also for trainees and professionals from other institutions, creating opportunities for shared learning, skills development, and institutional cooperation.
HU-IoT Laboratory project was initiated by Dr. Tewelgn Kebede to establish 8 Laboratories under the Faculty of Electrical Engineering with the donation of equipment, machines and materials worth two million Euro. Moreover, 50 latest wide screen desktop computers were delivered to the project as an extension of the initial grant.
During their visit, the delegation toured the laboratory facilities, available resources and their potential contributions to education and practical training.
Dr. Tewelgn said that the visit attests to the importance of international partnerships in strengthening higher education infrastructure, expanding access to practical training, and fostering closer links between universities and industry. The donated laboratory equipment is expected to contribute to skills development and support efforts to prepare qualified professionals for Ethiopia’s industrial and technological development.
