A large delegation of Hawassa University led by the president Dr. Ayano Beraso has visited the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany between June 11 and 17, 2023.
The delegation was composed of scholars selected from different colleges at Hawassa University so that they could get a chance to share their research and academic experiences with their counters at the University of Hohenheim. This was basically aimed at strengthening the longstanding collaboration between the two partner universities and building on farther areas of partnership in the future. The staff mobility program was sponsored by the European Union through its Erasmus+ program for international staff mobility and collaborations between the North and South. Hawassa and Hohenheim University had been collaborating for a long time, and CLIFOOD is one of the most important and longstanding active collaborative projects between the two universities sponsored by DAAD which has also technically organized and assisted the present mobility of the delegation to Hohenheim.
Dr. Ayano Beraso, President of HU, has extended his deepest gratitude for the hosting staff and leadership of the University of Hohenheim for choosing Hawassa university to work with over the years and even wanting to go farther with better energy in the future.
Prof. Andreas Pyka, Vice President for International Affairs at University of Hohenheim, warmly welcomed the delegation from HU with his colleagues Ms. Franziska Schenk, Joint Director of the Office of International Affairs, Ms. Carolin Maier, Student Mobility Manager, Dr. Christian Brandt, CLIFOOD Project Coordinator from Hohenheim University, and Dr. Sintayehu Yigrem, CLIFOOD Project Coordinator from Hawassa University, at the Green Room of Hohenheim Castle. The staff at the International Affairs office also presented Hehenheim University's profile and programs in internationalization including the Erasmus+ program to the delegation.
Dr. Emebet Bekele, Director general of the Office of External Relations and Communication at HU, has similarly presented a brief profile of the university focusing on its experiences in international collaboration and partnerships as well as the present capacities and priority areas of collaboration to the hosts.
Over the five days in Stuttgart, the Hawassa University delegation has introduced HU with its structural, facility, human capacity, students and academic programs focusing on potentials for international collaborations on interdisciplinary research, joint academic programs and human and material capacity building schemes possibly envisioned with the University of Hohenheim. The same was done by different faculties at the University of Hohenheim to demonstrate which areas would be most possible to work with Hawassa University in mutual cooperation.
There were also different sessions of discussions, presentations, bilateral meetings among staff involved in the international mobility program which had proven the mobility program quite fruitful in strategically shaping future collaborations between the two universities.
The delegation has also visited important research and scientific experimentation sites at the University of Hohenheim with representatives of each center, deans, professors and scientists explaining the essence of those centers for the university to tackle timely challenges to food security and ensure better livelihood for humankind with the help of scientific endeavors. There was also a multidisciplinary project plan presented by Dr. Mulugeta Dadi from Institute of Technology at HU on behalf of the HU delegation to specifically demonstrate best potentials of future collaboration with partners from the North and South on areas of mutual interest.
Finally, the delegation has returned home with a very promising note to expand our institutional partnership with the University of Hohenheim with a deep gratitude extended to the host university, its leadership, the International Affairs office and the CLIFOOD staff from both sides for their dedication, hospitality and hardwork in realizing this mobility.
