Jimma University
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Jimma University (JU) is a
public research university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
located in
Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrativ ...
,
Oromia Region Oromia (, ) is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. Under Article 49 of 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Constitution, the capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa, also called Finfinne. The ...
,
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
. It is recognized as the leading national university, as ranked first by the Federal
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
for four successive years (2009–2012). The establishment of Jimma university dates back to 1952 when Jimma College of Agriculture was founded. The university got its current name in December 1999 following the amalgamation of Jimma College of Agriculture (founded in 1952) and Jimma Institute of Health Sciences (founded in 1983).


Overview

The university is located in the city of
Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrativ ...
, situated around 352 kilometers southwest of
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
. Its grounds cover some 167 hectares. JU is Ethiopia's first innovative community-oriented educational institution of higher learning, with teaching centers for healthcare students in
Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrativ ...
, Omo Nada, Shebe, Agaro, and Asendabo. JU is a pioneer in
Public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
training. It has academic and scientific collaboration with numerous national and international partners. JU also publishes the biannual ''Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences'', and launched the ''Jimma University Journal of Law'' in October 2007.


Academics

Jimma University is one of Africa's largest and most comprehensive public research universities. The university has more than 4,000 faculty and staff members. It also has twelve research facilities, a modern hospital, a community school, a community radio station (FM 102.0), an ICT center, libraries, and revenue-generating enterprises. The university is operating on four campuses and is establishing its fifth campus at Agaro. Currently, the university educates more than 43,000 students in 56 undergraduate and 103 postgraduate programs in regular, summer, and distance education with more enrollments in the years to come. The university has many national and international linkages and collaborations in research, education, and community service. Its innovative educational philosophy, staff commitment and motivation, and availability of better research facilities have helped the university attract both national and international partners.


Faculties, Institutes and Schools

The university consists of the following academic units: * School of Graduate Studies * Institute of Technology * Institute of Education and Professional Development Studies * College Of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine * College of Business and Economics * College of Natural Sciences * College of Humanities and Social Sciences . College of Law and Governance * College of Public Health and Medical Sciences * School of Art * Agaro Campus


Initiatives

Jimma University is highly committed to pioneering concepts, as reflected in its motto, the university was initially founded based on the concept of Community-Based Education (CBE). Throughout its history, the university has been committed to this scheme, and almost all of the academic curriculum are based on CBE programs. Jimma University is the first university in Africa that has established an exclusive office under the President's office to supervise all innovative programs across the university.


Jimma University College of Public Health and Medical Sciences

The establishment of the College of Health Sciences of Jimma University (JU) can be traced back to 1983 with the birth of the then Jimma Institute of Health Sciences (JIHS). The very beginning of the establishment of JIHS is marked as a continuation of the Ras Desta Damtew Health Assistant Training School established in 1967 by the Ethio-Netherlands Health Project on the premises of Jimma Hospital. On this foundation, the School of Nursing was established in 1983. Subsequently, the School of Medicine as well as the School of Pharmacy emerged in 1985; the School of Medical Laboratory Technology and the School of Environmental Health launched in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Jimma University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) is one of the oldest public hospitals in the country. It was established in 1922. Geographically, it is located in Jimma City 352  km southwest of the capital Addis Ababa. It has been governed under the Ethiopian government by the name of "Ras Desta Damtew Hospital" and later "Jimma Hospital" during Dergue regime and currently Jimma University Specialized Teaching Hospital. Though old for its age, it had not made remarkable physical facility improvements for years. However, in later times, it became evident that some side-wing buildings were constructed by different stakeholders at different times to respond to the ever-growing pressure of service demand and clinical teaching needs derived from the public and Jimma University respectively. Especially, after the transfer of its ownership to Jimma University, the university has made relentless efforts in extensive renovation and expansion work to make the hospital conducive for service, teaching, and research. Cognizant of the fast-growing service and teaching role of the hospital, the federal government considered the construction of a new and level- best 600 bedded hospital which will be functional as of September 2015.


Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Department of Materials Science & Engineering, as a national role model for research-oriented departments, was established with a start-up budget of US$10 million. This is the first comprehensive department of materials science in Ethiopia, which offers all MSE programs. The main theme of the department research is nano-materials under the supervision of Professor Ali Eftekhari, President of the American Nano Society.


Notable alumni

* Gebisa Ejeta - 2009
World Food Prize The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate No ...
winner (considered the Nobel prize of Agriculture) *
Lia Tadesse Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin (; born 1976) is an Ethiopian physician who served as the Minister of Health from 12 March 2020 until 8 February 2024. Prior to her appointment, Lia served as State Minister of Health from November 2018. She also served ...
- Ethiopia Minister of Health * Tefera Belachew - Renown nutrition professor


See also

*
List of universities and colleges in Ethiopia This is a list of universities and colleges in Ethiopia. It includes both public and private institutions. There are 5 private universities and 659 private colleges of higher education in Ethiopia. Public higher education institutions are catego ...
*
Education in Ethiopia Education in Ethiopia was dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated literacy rate below 50% and compared poorly with the rest of ...


References

{{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1952 1952 establishments in Ethiopia Universities and colleges in Oromia