Research Director's Message
Welcome to the Research wing of the Research and Community Services, Bahir Dar University, which is dedicated to conducting research. The research system has taken its present form since 2003 EC. Research has a lot of stake because the University aspires to become one of the top ten research universities in Africa by 2025.
We generate knowledge and technology which will be transferred and help improve the society’s standard of living. Because today’s society is knowledge driven, actions and decisions should be made based on hard evidence, something credible, independent and scientifically proven research results rather than anecdotal reports.
In the University, research is conducted by three groups of actors: research centers, research groups, and academic units. Some of the nine Research Centers and most of the 12 academic units are fully operational, while the Research groups are under formation. The expansion of the graduate program has dual advantage in that it helps enhance the research efforts and at the same time improve the quality of graduates. The functions of the research system as a whole are: conducting research, consultancy services (technical assistance), and participating in seminars and workshops. We have a number of ongoing and completed mega research projects (which are designed to answer multiples of questions), many of which are funded by foreign sources, but majority of them are simple and specific research topics, which answer one question. We host distinguished speakers to present and share their experiences on selected topics to the largely novice academic and research staff. Each Academic Unit and Research Center regularly organizes seminars, and annually or biannually regional, national or international conferences. Some research groups have managed to write research projects and secure funds for specific research projects. Right now, a few hundred researches are underway. We are expecting a number of completed researches that will be transferred to users.
Research results are presented in workshops, published online, or paper-printed, and eventually end up transferred to the community. The staffs of the University publish hundreds of research articles annually. Thanks to the University management, research funding has been on the increase for the last couple of years. A lot research opportunity awaits us. It is my pleasure to remind you to start research of your choice. Let’s focus on health, food, environment, technology, social development, energy, and more.
