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STRATEGIC PLAN AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

CONCEPT FOR FURTHER EVOLVING THE ADDIS ABABA


INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (AAIT)

PROF. YOUNG KYUN KIM


________________________________________________________

FINAL VERSION
2 June, 2012
Prepared by Prof. Young Kyun Kim and AAiT reform team

TABLE OF CONTENT
Executive Summary
1.
The Transformation Process at AAiT
1.1.
1.2.
2.

3.

Rationale for the Reform


Role of the Directors in the Change Process

-1-3-

Vision, Mission, Objectives and Values of AAiT

-4-

2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.

-4-5-5-6-

5.

Vision
Mission
Objectives
Values

AAiT Governance Model and Autonomy


3.1.
3.2.
3.3.

4.

v
-1-

The Governance Structure of the AAiT


The Relationship between AAiT and the University
Linkage between Government and AAiT
3.3.1.
Execution of Government Policies and Strategies

AAiT Leadership and Central Management Units

-7-7-9- 10 - 10 - 10 -

4.1.

The Supervisory Board


4.1.1.
Responsibilities
4.1.2.
Membership

- 10 - 10 - 11 -

4.2.

The AAiT Management Board


4.2.1.
The Overall Focus
4.2.2.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 12 - 12 - 13 -

4.3.

The Scientific Director


4.3.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 14 - 15 -

4.4.

The Managing Director of AAiT


4.4.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 17 - 17 -

4.5.

The Deputy Scientific Director


4.5.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 19 - 19 -

4.6.

The Director for Research and Technology Transfer


4.6.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 19 - 19 -

4.7.

The AAiT Reform Office


4.7.1.
Members
4.7.2.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 20 - 20 - 20 -

4.8.

The AAiT Council


4.8.1.
Members
4.8.2.
Duties and Responsibilities
4.8.3.
Working Groups in the Council

- 20 - 20 - 21 - 23 -

Academic Units
5.1.

- 23 -

The Schools

- 24 -

5.1.1.
5.1.2.
5.1.3.
5.1.4.

6.

7.

School Deans
Duties and Responsibilities of the School Dean
The School council
Duties and Responsibilities of the School council

- 24 - 25 - 25 - 26 -

5.2.

The Chairs
5.2.1.
The concept of Chairs
5.2.2.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 27 - 27 - 27 -

5.3.

Postgraduate Program Leader and Research Coordinator


5.3.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 28 - 28 -

5.4.

Undergraduate Program Leader


5.4.1.
Duties and Responsibilities

- 29 - 29 -

Academic Reform Areas

- 29 -

6.1.

Improving the Teaching and Learning at AAiT


- 29 6.1.1.
Curricula Revision and Development in BSc Study Programs- 29 6.1.2.
Curricula Revision and Development in MSc Programs
- 30 6.1.3.
PhD Programs
- 30 6.1.4.
Teaching Quality
- 31 6.1.5.
Teaching Methods
- 31 6.1.6.
Responsibility for the regional universities
- 32 -

6.2.

Academic Staff Development


6.2.1.
Qualification of the Academic Staff
6.2.2.
Continuous Professional Development
6.2.3.
Distance Education Including e-Learning

- 32 - 32 - 33 - 34 -

6.3.
6.4.

Technical Staff
Enhancing Research
6.4.1.
Encouraging staffs to do research
6.4.2.
Establishing core competence research laboratories

- 34 - 35 - 35 - 36 -

6.5.

Improving External Links / Industry Linkage


6.5.1.
Industry Advisory Committee
6.5.1.
Support unit External Relations

- 36 - 36 - 37 -

6.6.

Student Participation
6.6.1.
Participation in Decision-Making Processes
6.6.2.
Student Information
6.6.3.
Student Council
6.6.4.
Student Clubs and Associations

- 37 - 37 - 38 - 38 - 38 -

6.7.

Gender mainstreaming
6.7.1.
Situation
6.7.2.
Planned activities

- 38 - 38 - 39 -

Administrative and Support Units


7.1.

- 40 -

Finance, Budget and Property Administration


7.1.1.
Income Generation

ii

- 40 - 40 -

7.1.2.
7.1.3.
7.1.4.
7.1.5.
7.1.6.
7.2.
7.3.
7.4.
7.5.
7.6.
7.7.
7.8.
7.9.

8.

Gender office
Infrastructure and Facility Administration
Human Resource Unit
Student Services
ICT-Services
Associate Registrar
Library
The External Relations Unit
7.9.1.
Technology Transfer Management
7.9.2.
Qualified Internship System and Career Development
7.9.3.
Research Coordinator
7.9.4.
The Public Relations Office

Reform Areas in Management and Administration


8.1.
8.2.
8.3.
8.4.

9.

Budget Planning and Allocation


Finance and Budget Unit
Procurement Unit
Property Management
Internal Audit

Upgrading of Administrative staff


IT support for administrative processes
Housing for Staffs
Additional Buildings

Goals and Milestones of Evolving the Reform Process


9.1.

WP1: Reform on Studies


WP 1.1 Students Admission Requirements
WP1. 2: Technology Assisted Teaching/Learning
WP 1.3 Open Lectures
WP 1.4 Upgrading Teaching Laboratories
WP 1.5: PhD/M.Sc. Program Expansions
WP 1.6 Establishing Standards and Quality Assurance Office
WP 1.7 Curricula Revision

WP 2 Reform on Staff Capacity Development


WP 2.1 Increase proportion of PhD holders
WP 2.2 Enrolling in local PhD programs

- 41 - 41 - 42 - 42 - 42 - 43 - 43 - 43 - 44 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 46 - 46 - 48 - 48 - 49 - 49 - 49 - 51 - 51 - 52 - 52 - 52 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 59 - 60 -

WP 3 Reform on Research and Industry Linkage


- 61 WP 3.1 Establishing Research Laboratories in Core Competence Areas- 61 WP 3.2 Research
- 65 WP 3.3 Publications
- 66 WP 3.4 Industrial Linkage, Technology Transfer and Public Relations- 67 WP 3.5 AAiT Industry Advisory Committee
- 68 WP 3.6 Establishing of Incubation Center (Entrepreneurship)
- 69 WP 4 Reform on International Cooperation

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- 70 -

WP 4.1Enhance University co-operations


WP 4.2 Establish new Industry Co-operations

- 70 - 71 -

WP 5 Reform on Governance and Institutional Management


WP 5.1 Securing the autonomous status of AAiT
WP 5.2 Establishing an efficient academic structure
WP 5.3 Setting up efficient administrative and support units

- 71 - 71 - 72 - 73 -

WP 6 Reform on Infrastructure
WP 6.1 Maintenance of Existing Buildings
WP 5.2 New Campus for AAiT (KAIST as a Model)
WP 5.3 Student Facilities
WP-5.4. ICT Infrastructure
WP 5.5 Student Dormitories
WP 5.6 Student Cafeteria
WP 5.7 Staff Facilities
WP 5.8 Housing: Retention of existing, and attraction of new staffs

- 74 - 74 - 75 - 77 - 77 - 78 - 79 - 81 - 82 -

Annex I: Organizational Structure of AAiT

- 83 -

A I.1: AAiT Governance Structure


A I.2: Academic and Research Structure
A I. 2.1 Overview
A I. 2.1 Schools

- 83 - 84 - 84 - 85 -

A I.3 Administrative Structure

- 87 -

Annex II: Estimated Additional Space Requirements (2014)


Annex III: KAIST Site Plan as a Model

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- 88 - 90 -

Executive Summary
This proposal addresses the principles and guidelines to successfully reform Addis
Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT) that started in April 2010 when AAiT was designated as a model Institute of Technology (IoT) in Ethiopia. This proposal is prepared based on my fact finding visit to AAiT on April 3 - 7, 2012.
It is believed that the competitiveness of a country comes from the competitiveness
of Education. Like South Korea, Ethiopian people have a strong zeal for their children's high education, which shows a bright future for Ethiopia. To meet the Ethiopia
Reform Target of becoming a middle income country by 2025, in particular, Higher
Education Reform will be a major center piece. Vietnam in Asia will be a good example for a close look. Vietnam is surely a developing country now with GDP per
capita, PPP of US $3000 and the similar population of 84 millions. With the success
of Higher Education Reform in Vietnam, it now becomes global industry's high-tech
manufacturing base for the Asian and global markets. It is my sincere hope that
Ethiopia can follow this track of Vietnam and be a global high-tech industry's manufacturing base for the African and global markets in the near future.
The vision for AAiT will be 1) Top 5 IoT in Africa by 2015; 2) Top 100 in IoT in the
world by 2025. AAiT will represent Ethiopia as a global leading technology institute
and be a base institute for Ethiopia's Industry/Academia/Research collaboration.
The direction for AAiT will be clearly market-driven. Therefore all the academic and
research programs in AAiT will be practical and valuable for the Ethiopian people's
well being and their life improvement. That path of AAiT will surely lead to the
country's economic growth.
AAiT will continue to reform to produce high tech leaders for regional industry sector and regional universities. In doing so, AAiT will develop several research
projects with government, global industry and research institutes. AAiT will establish several core competence laboratories (such Civil Infrastructure, Energy Technology, Water and Environment, and Food Technology). AAiT departments/schools
have excellent skills and expertise in these core competence areas, and these core
competence laboratories are ready to undertake their new challenges solving the
countrys and global high priority issues.
Active research in AAiT will contribute to multiple purposes for academic staffs and
students. It helps to enrich teaching and learning since research will add ingredients
of practical application of theories learned in classes. The research activities will help
to upgrade the level of academic staffs in connection with Master or PhD degree.
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Through practical research activities, academic staffs can develop the capacity of
meeting individual needs as well as fostering growth of industry. In addition, research will bring in extra revenue for AAiT and for faculty members.
In reviewing and proposing the new AAiT academic program, we all agree with the
fact that AAiT is quite big and diverse, and therefore the institute cannot work without a middle management level between the department chairs and the institute leadership. Our new academic program will therefore upgrade the departments to
schools. This is not only a change of name. According to the Senate Legislation of
Addis Ababa University, schools are equivalent to faculties and colleges. These units
have through their academic commission decision making power in most academic issues. Compared to the former departments, the schools will have a more professional academic administration, will be able to handle most staffs and student affairs
and can have different undergraduate and postgraduate programs. We hope that the
schools will be able to better cope with the increasing student numbers and will be
more flexible in opening new programs.
In the new academic program, aligning with national and regional development
plans and the economic demands, we will establish four schools of engineering,
namely School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Chemical and BioEngineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. In this new schools structure, we add new crucial
programs such as Food Engineering, Material Engineering, Bio Engineering and Environmental Engineering, which are so important for Ethiopian people's daily life
and well being. Also coping with the trend of Convergence of technologies, the
new academic program will strengthen the Information Communication & technologies (ICT) skills and infrastructure for their maximum use.
For the newly added academic programs, high quality teaching staffs are urgently
needed. The new programs may be started in cooperation with the leading oversea
industry and engineering institutes so that AAiT can secure practical guidance in
curricular development and teaching staffs supply. Also AAiT will seek for international academia cooperation programs by sending its staff members to the universities in Korea, Germany, South Africa, US, Canada and others.
AAiT needs to extend the invitation of expatriate professors to bring in experienced
Ethiopian professionals living in foreign countries. Similar to the case in Korea in
1970s and 1980s, they will be interested in returning to home country as Ethiopian
economy and living condition continuously improve. In parallel, Ethiopian Gov-

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ernment should develop extra-ordinary program to recruit oversea Ethiopian scientists by offering incentives such as settlement cost assistance and free housings.
A very important factor to recruit qualified academic staff members is again a reasonable salary. Presently the salary level of academic staff members in Ethiopia is
very low compared with industry sector. In Korea, the salary level of university professors reaches around 75% of income of industry sector with a similar experience.
But in Ethiopia it is less than half of the industry salary. We assume Ministry of Education (MoE) is well aware of this poor salary condition of academic staffs and
would resolve the issue in near future. Meantime, working with government and
industry, AAiT would attempt to increase research and consulting activities which
can generate additional benefits to academic staffs and to the institute. AAiT will
also plan to compensate for outstanding academic staffs by offering some form of
financial incentives for recognition and encouragement of their hard works. These
incentives will be financed from the internal revenue generated by AAiT.
The recent explosive increase in number of undergraduate students in AAiT reaches
beyond our tolerable level. AAiT as a prestigious and model IoT in Addis Ababa,
Capital, of Ethiopia really expects to accept top-quality students from high schools
nationwide through entrance examinations or other means.. Therefore AAiT would
like to be considered as a model institute which is empowered to directly select students for admission in accordance with Art. 39.6 of the Higher Education Proclamation. Until the governmental policy becomes favorable to AAiT, AAiT should face
with this great challenge and develop a curricular program designed to prepare for
all different level students.
To cope with heavy teaching workloads for all academic staffs, we should develop
revolutionary on-line education means such as Open Ware Courses offered by MIT
for the maximum outsourcing. By taking this revolutionary way and with setting up
of advanced internet-based classrooms, academic staffs' teaching loads may be greatly reduced. Without conducting actual lectures themselves, academic staffs can effectively utilize teaching assistants in graduate-level for the class supervisory works.
Eventually, academic staffs can be more productive spending more time on their
focused research areas as well. We will train the staffs and start this on-line program
with exemplary undergraduate courses for each school and gradually increase the
courses guaranteeing the overall education quality.
We should also be aware that the current undergraduate engineering programs with
five-year in Ethiopia have great deficiencies in meeting with the Global Standards
Education. It is the global common practice to have a four-year Bachelor degree for
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engineering schools prior to a Master degree. Local industry is looking for high quality engineering students as fast as possible for their business demands and success.
Working closely with other IoTs and MoE, AAiT should redefine the undergraduate
engineering degree programs so that globally acceptable academic programs are put
in place soon.
Reviewing overall programs in AAiT, first major issue dealing with infrastructure in
general requires an urgent remedy with a priority allocation of budgets. For highquality teaching and research, high-speed internet infrastructure in a campus is a
must AAiT should have. There were some works done, but still a lot of works are
needed for further improving. Besides this poor internet situation, recent explosive
increase of undergraduate students enrolled, there are a great shortage of classrooms
and qualified teaching staffs. And with recently signed government and industry
research projects AAiT gets engaged, certain schools require more lab space for conducting their immediate research works.
There are three Key Reform Success Factors, namely
1) Speed
2) Empowering
3) Stability.
To handle effectively the challenging reform issues in AAiT (academic program, infrastructure, classrooms shortage & building plan, staffing & training, faculty recruits & incentives, and others) and pursuing the future visions, AAiT should have
the Autonomy Directive (issued in October 2011) within AAU to be fully in place in
Finance and Administrative Matters. A new Scientific Director of AAiT should be
empowered with the autonomy for the speedy reform of AAiT.
However, autonomy does not mean complete independence. AAiT will remain a
part of Addis Ababa University. In infrastructural issues, AAiT relies on the close
cooperation with the central university. AAiTs study programs will continue being
endorsed by the university senate and the AAiT students are proud to receive degrees from Addis Ababa University and AAiT. The success of the transformation
process at AAiT will also be a success of the university as a whole.
Last but not least, AAiT, a present name of the institute will be changed to a new
brand "EAiT". Only one alphabet change, but it has a great substance there. The new
name "EAiT" stands for "Ethiopian Advanced Institute of Technology" reflecting its
presence as a global leading technology institute representing Ethiopia, and also its
balanced academic and research-centered presence for the country's economy
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growth. It is planned to re-name the institute after the first phase of the transformation process has been successfully implemented.
In the sequel, the proposal presents rationales for the proposed reform tasks. Detailed road maps of action items to successfully revolve and complete the already
started reform process are also presented.

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1. The Transformation Process at AAiT

1.1. Rationale for the Reform


In April 2010, the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT) has been established.
After two years the transformation process will go into its second phase under a new
leadership. However, the first analysis can be mainly kept:
Ethiopia has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The implementation of the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) requires a high number of
professionals in the areas of road engineering, railway engineering, sugar technology, surveying. Additionally, the regional universities depend on teaching staff in
order to run their undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Although the government has been investing increasingly in infrastructure, including new universities, Ethiopia has not nearly enough engineers and IT professionals to support an
urgently needed growth of industry and to make Ethiopians industry internationally competitive. There is a high demand for highly educated Chemical Engineers,
Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Electrical and Computer Engineers as
well as for Information Technology professionals. In addition there is an urgent need
for strong ICT support for the education system, so that staff and students can communicate at high speed via the intranet and internet and can participate actively in
international development.

AAiT plays a key role in educating highly qualified teaching staff, industrial engineers and researchers. Addis Ababa University is not only the oldest but also the
most renowned university in Ethiopia. As one important part of it, AAiT is currently
the leading technological institution in the country with a good reputation for its
graduate and post-graduate programmes. However, compared to international
standards the research activities, the international cooperation, the linkage with industry and the number of PhD degrees is not satisfying. These aspects are connected
with each other: applied research will be the basis for better cooperation with industry but also for international networking. PhD students as well as MSc students will
profit from a research oriented environment. At the same time, teaching will be im-1-

proved by a strong practical focus of the lecturers. In order to make fast progress in
all these areas, several studies show that a reform of the governance system is indispensable.

The urgency for academically trained professionals and the high shortage of qualified academic teachers/scientists will require the collaboration with institutions
abroad. This will be established through partnerships.

A well governed institute is considered an essential prerequisite for achieving the


goal of producing high quality technology professionals and relevant research. Academic institutions are organisations that deal with teaching and learning, fundamental and applied research as well as technology transfer. Accordingly, university governance is concerned with the determination of values inside universities, their system of decision making and resource allocation, their mission and purposes, the patterns of authority and hierarchy, and the relationship of universities to other institutions, stakeholders, sectors and so forth.

Good governance needs to be transparent, accountable, responsive, effective and


efficient, participatory; consensus orientated and must operate within the existing
legal framework.

The change of mentality, attitudes and culture is a prerequisite to follow new paths
and to set-up new structures. Thus, a different way of thinking and acting cannot
simply be prescribed. People need to understand why it is necessary to change their
own familiar attitudes. It is also to understand that a reform is a process that needs
time and the involvement of all: government, stakeholders and actors. Change processes need enthusiastic and brave people at all levels, which are willing to try new
paths and go for it. In addition, a trusting and positive environment is needed to facilitate the reform. Consequently, governance has to be organized as a process to be
accompanied by change management.

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In the transformation process, AAiT will be technically supported by the engineering


capacity building program. All planning and reporting documents will be also submitted to ecbp.

1.2. Role of the Directors in the Change Process


The Scientific Director leads the change process in the academic reform areas. The
Managing Director leads the reform in the administrative areas. Both positions will
be filled by international experts during the first five years of the transformation
process. The Scientific Director will bring in his high-level expertise in research and
academic education in order to accelerate the development of AAiT into an internationally competitive institute. He will use his extensive international networks in
industry and academia for supporting the process. The experience with academic
reform projects shows that they cannot be successful without effective support services and fast decision making structures. Therefore the Managing Director will
bring in international expertise in higher education management, human resource
development and modern financial and administrative steering instruments. Both
Directors will work on implementing an effective governance structure of the institute which allows the academic staffs to focus on their core responsibilities in education and research. A key factor for the success of the governance reform will be the
realization of the academic, financial and administrative autonomy of the institute.

It is evident that the reform depends on the active involvement of dedicated staffs
and students. A core group of change oriented staffs will be involved from the very
beginning in the planning and implementing of the transformation process. The
newly established Reform Office will be in charge of organizing the communication
within the institute but also towards the university community, the government and
the public as a whole. Resistance against the reform is to be expected but after seeing
the first concrete progress in the core areas of the reform, a majority in the institute
will support it. Especially for the younger academic staff members, the perspective

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of AAiT to become an acknowledged part of the international scientific community


has enormous value.

The sustainability of transformation process will be ensured by transferring the responsibility in due course to the Ethiopian members of AAiT. Both directors will
closely work together with their deputies. The deputy directors will benefit from this
cooperation by gaining practical experience on international leadership and management principles. Vice versa, the international directors will benefit from the internal knowledge and the contacts of their deputies. But also other leading staff
members will be expected to take responsibility for parts of the reform packages. A
group of change agents who fully identify with the objectives of the reform will
continue the transformation process also after the contribution of international experts has come to an end. This group which will consist of academic but also administrative staff members will be encouraged and strengthened during the whole process. An important tool will be to give them access to international leadership and
management trainings.

2. Vision, Mission, Objectives and Values of AAiT

2.1. Vision
The vision for AAiT will be
1)

Top 5 IoT in Africa by 2015

2)

Top 100 in IoT in the world by 2025.

AAiT will represent Ethiopia as a global leading technology institute and be a base
institute for Ethiopia's Industry/Academia/Research collaboration. AAiT is the first
Institute of Technology in Ethiopia to reach international recognition in its research
and achieves highest employability for its graduates.

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2.2. Mission

To educate prospective graduates, provide and create knowledge and


develop skills in the Information Technology and Engineering disciplines
most needed by the Ethiopian industry.

To conduct technology-based applied research, projects and studies based


on priorities that reflect the needs of the country.

To create an environment that is conducive to the cultivation of social


skills and entrepreneurship among students and staff

To serve as a model for other educational institutions within the country


and provide them with the necessary technological education and
advanced training

To cooperate with all relevant stakeholders in promoting and developing


local, regional and national technological know-how

To establish close collaboration between industry, the Government, the


community and AAiT

To introduce key performance indicators in order to measure and


constantly improve success in teaching, projects and research.

2.3. Objectives
1.

AAiT shall be understood as an institution dedicated to the advancement of


knowledge in the core Engineering disciplines and Information Technologies
relevant to the Ethiopian society.

2.

Key performance indicators will be used in order to ensure that the quality
of teaching, projects and research is amongst the top five IoTs in Africa in all
disciplines represented at AAiT

3.

AAiT will put high priority on student outcomes that make students highly
employable in the Ethiopian industry

4.

AAiT shall become a model Institute and laboratory for excellence in


teaching, learning applied research and practice in the fields of Civil,
Electrical,

Mechanical,

Chemical
-5-

and

Computer

Engineering

and

Information Technology. The academic work needs to introduce guideline


for the prospective development of Ethiopia into a technologically
transformed, however, sustainable society. Research and project work need
to be directed towards problems that need to be solved within Ethiopia.
5.

AAiT shall be a desirable partner in international university partnerships


and networks.

6.

AAiT will become the technology institute with the highest level of
international recognition through an accelerated program that involves up
skilling of its academic staffs.

2.4. Values
The following values should serve as the basis for implementing AAiT:

Academic freedom and autonomy


AAiT makes use of its academic freedom and institutional autonomy in order to
improve its services and prevents its activities from being subjected to unnecessary
or inappropriate interventions or misuse by its own members. Its autonomy will be
used in order to establish highly efficient processes.

Social responsibility
AAiT strives to reach its full potential in order to fulfill its social responsibility
through the active participation of its students and staffs in industry projects,
research, community development activities and public services. It aligns its
activities in such a way that it is able to carry out the responsibility bestowed upon it
as a public institution. It serves society by bringing about technological progress and
contributing to social transformation.

High levels of performance and professionalism


In order to ensure exemplary performance, AAiT operates with the highest possible
standards of professionalism and ethics and seeks to provide high-quality services as
efficiently as possible.
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High level of performance does also imply international recognition for any
university that aspires to be the leading university in Ethiopia. This in turn requires
that strong incentives are given to staffs to undergo and publish research outcomes.

Transparency and public accountability


AAiT is accountable to the Addis Ababa University (AAU) and stakeholders by
providing clear and open records of all of its operations. As a public institution, each
resource received from the government (or taxpayers) brings value for money and
its Director is held accountable for its performance. AAiT is committed to regularly
communicating its performance reports, financial statements, external audit reports,
budgets and plans for the future and holds open meetings with all stakeholders. It
makes information easily accessible in order to strengthen its transparency and
public accountability.

Committed leadership
AAiT leadership is dedicated to excellence and has a strong will to succeed and excel
in its endeavors. It is characterized by the integrity and competence needed to
accomplish its mission and a resolute focus on the strategic issues.

3. AAiT Governance Model and Autonomy


3.1. The Governance Structure of the AAiT
The governance structure provides AAiT with more autonomy in management and
administration and a means for ensuring accountability to its Supervisory Board and
the university. The various units in the organizational structure are separated into
the following four levels:

The strategic level (including the Ministry of Education, Addis Ababa


University and the Supervisory Board as AAiTs strategic leadership)

The management level (consisting of AAiTs Management Board, including


all School Deans as well as the Scientific Director, the Managing Director and
their deputies.

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The School level (made up of all Chairs, the School Deans and its managers)
accountable to AAiTs Management Board)

The Chair level (made up of a Chair holder and all academics of his/her
group)

The structure is designed to allow AAiT to establish direct linkage to industries, the
business and public sectors in such a way that these partnerships are able to benefit
the institution as well as the stakeholders. In effect, benefits to the economy will be
the focus for all of the institutions core activities, such as the curricula, research
activities, and technology transfer and student enrolment.

Figure 1: AAiT Governance Structure


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3.2. The Relationship between AAiT and the University


In relation to the central university, AAiT is provided with autonomy with regards
to personnel, finance and academic affairs. Whereas the details are defined in the
Autonomy Directive No. 1/2003 E.C. issued by the University Board, the main
characteristics of the relationship can be described as follows:
a. AAiT is a part of the University with a special autonomous status.
b. AAiT shall have the right to establish its own governance structure, as
described in the present framework and as further developed.
c. The AAiT bodies shall have the responsibilities defined in chapter 4 and5 of
this strategic plan. Within the limits of these responsibilities, AAiT is entitled
to decide on all of its academic and administrative matters.
d. AAiT is controlled by its Supervisory Board. The University is represented in
AAiTs Supervisory Board by the University President and one member of
the Senate both of them voting members.
e. The AAiT Supervisory Board is accountable to the University Board. The
University Board oversees the work of the AAiT Supervisory Board and
supervises the observance of the legal provisions and the provisions of this
framework.
f. AAiT represents itself in all matters by establishing academic links to other
international technical institutions, negotiating contracts, signing memoranda
of understanding and cooperating with other institutions and organizations
that assist its development.
g. AAiT autonomously recruits all its administrative staff and academic staff
and is in charge of promotion, discipline and dismissal based on the
principles of applicable laws and regulations. This applies with the exception
that the promotion to the rank of full professor will be only recommended by
AAiT but finally decided upon by the University Board.
h. AAiT receives a block grant budget from the Ministry of Finance (through the
MoE/University) and may use any unused funds as a rolling budget in
compliance with Art. 62 and 63 Higher Education Proclamation.

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i. AAiT generates and collects revenue through various methods of income


generation and uses it for the development of the institute.

3.3.

Linkage between Government and AAiT


3.3.1. Execution of Government Policies and Strategies

The Governmental Policies and Strategies shall be enabling AAiT, not governing it in
detail. AAiT will contribute to mutually trusting relationships and be proactively,
transparently and forward acting. According to the Organizational Structure, the
Ministers and Ministries of Education and Civil Service control and support AAiT
through the Supervisory Board via the Management Board. No direct cut-through
intervention bypassing the Management Board takes place.

4. AAiT Leadership and Central Management Units


4.1. The Supervisory Board
4.1.1. Responsibilities
The two Institutes of Technology at AAU (EiABC and AAiT) will continue having a
common Supervisory Board. As the Institutes highest approving and monitoring
body, the Supervisory Board is accountable to the University Board. Its
responsibilities are to approve and oversee decisions made by AAiT governing
bodies and management units. The detailed responsibilities of the Supervisory Board
include the following points:
 To examine, approve and follow up the implementation of proposals of
reorganization, organizational plans, policies, administration and academic
programs and internal regulations of the institute;
 To nominate the candidate scientific director for appointment by the
University Board and to appoint the deputy scientific director and the
managing director on the basis of nomination by the scientific director. In the
first years of the change management process, the Supervisory Board and the
Ministry of Education will directly appoint international Scientific and
Managing Directors.
- 10 -

 To take any disciplinary action, including removal from office, against the
deputy scientific director or the managing director, and in the case of the
scientific director in consultation with the University Board in the event of
serious failure to discharge his responsibility;
 To review and submit strategic plans, annual plans and budgets of the
institute

and

supervise

their

implementation;

approve

and

submit

performance reports and financial statements of the institute;


 To cause, as necessary, the formulation of and approve policies regarding
employment, promotion, discipline, salary, allowances, and other benefits for
the administrative and technical support staff of the public institute on the
basis of the basic principles of the federal civil service laws;
 To decide on allowance schemes and differential benefits for academic staff;
 To conduct, on the basis of the director's report, performance evaluations of
the institute, of its constituents and of its leaders and governing bodies
against plans.
4.1.2. Membership
 The Ministry of Education will appoint the members of the Supervisory Board
in consultation with the university and the IoT.
 The President of the Addis Ababa University will be one of the voting
members of the Supervisory Board.
 In addition to the University President, one member from the University
Senate will be selected and delegated as a member by the University Senate.
 The remaining four members will be stakeholders from industry or public
institutions. Two of them will represent the area of architecture and urban
planning; two will represent the engineering fields.
 AAiTs Scientific Director and Managing Director as well as their deputies
will be non-voting members of the Supervisory Board and the Managing
Director will serve as its Secretary.
 The Supervisory Board shall convene at least once every six months. The
Chairperson can call extraordinary sessions as deemed necessary.
- 11 -

 Each voting member of the Supervisory Board shall serve a term of three
years. He/she may be re-appointed by the respected authorities for the
maximum of one more term.

4.2. The AAiT Management Board


4.2.1. The Overall Focus
The Management Board meets, in general, bi-monthly to assess short-, and mediumterm goals, means and performance in all branches of the Institute.
The team should focus on the key issues that require the strategic attention of the
Institutes leadership. The Management Board should be able to formulate clear
guidelines for work procedures and regulations that ensure transparency and
efficient implementation. This decentralization of power and authority coupled with
responsibility and accountability shall be the essence of the institutional
management. Such empowerment and trust at the lower management and
administration levels will be a strong motivational factor for many of the Institutes
members to serve in administrative positions.
The Institutes strategic leadership shall continually strive to further improve
existing processes and service delivery mechanisms by way of best practices and
technology. Process improvement and reform shall not be a one-time effort, but a
perpetual process in the Institute. In this regard, the Institutes operation should
provide a good example within the university, as well as for private and
governmental bodies.
The annual plan is derived from AAiTs strategic plan and specifies institutional
goals and objectives as well as the means for achieving them. These goals are
cascaded down to the lower management and administration units and also to the
individual level, if applicable. Performance assessment at the individual, chair and
institutional levels is based solely on measurable goals and objectives.
Resource allocation, which includes human, financial, material and other resources,
is based on these institutional goals and objectives. The Management Board has full
- 12 -

authority over the budget and can make changes in allocation by its own decision,
based on the institutional goals and objectives. All administrative issues, such as
staff employment, budget allocation, building and office space allocation, are
strongly tied to institutional goals.
Institutional performance reports are presented by the Management Board to all
members of the Institute quarterly. Feedback on such assessments should be used as
input for the following term. In accordance with the current BPR and Civil Service
Reforms at the public higher education institutions, mechanisms for handling
complaints from internal or external bodies must be implemented in a fair,
transparent and timely manner.

4.2.2. Duties and Responsibilities


Members of the Management Board are the Scientific Director, the Managing
Director, their deputies, the Director for Research and Technology Transfer, the
School Deans and the Heads of central academic units of AAiT.

The Management Board is responsible for all administrative and financial issues of a
general nature. This includes but is not limited to the following responsibilities
a. to approve the budget request to be submitted to the Supervisory Board
b. to take major decisions with regard to the budget allocation
c. to decide on the organization of the administration and support units
d. to approve salary and allowance schemes to be submitted to the
Supervisory Board
e. to approve guidelines, procedures and manuals for the management of the
institute
f. to approve space planning and construction projects
g. to prepare and approve quarterly reports
h. to prepare and approve strategic and other plans
i. to oversee the implementation of regulations, guidelines and decisions
taken by the Management Board
- 13 -

The Scientific Director is entitled to overrule the majority decision of the


Management Board if he is convinced that a decision endangers the transformation
process.
4.3. The Scientific Director
The Scientific Director is the main executive organ of AAiT and has the overall
responsibility for the institute. The Scientific Director leads the transformation
process at AAiT in the academic reform areas and is responsible for the
implementation of this Strategic Plan.

He/she will be appointed by the University Board and be appointed for a


term of three years and can be re-appointed for the maximum of one more
term.
In the first years of the change management process, an international
Scientific Director will be directly appointed by Supervisory Board and the
Ministry of Education.

Figure 2: AAiT Academic and Research Structure

- 14 -

4.3.1. Duties and Responsibilities


In accordance with the directive, the Scientific Director is in charge of the following
responsibilities:
 to direct and administer the institute with the aim of ensuring the
achievement of its mission
 to ensure the development of the AAiTs academic profile and operational
realization of its strategies and policies
 to ensure that organs of the institute and its community uphold the objectives
of higher education and guiding values of the institute;
 to ensure that the provisions of the Proclamation, this Directive

and of other

laws applicable to the institute are respected;


 to ensure that the institute, in accordance with its enrolment capacity,
produces graduates with competence and professional mix consistent with
the needs of the country;
 to create and continuously build a conducive institutional environment
stimulating learning and research; to initiate new research fields which are
relevant to the region and the economic development of the country
 to ensure that the institute in the pursuit of its mission is perpetually
connected internationally as well as with national and local institutes,
relevant agencies and business and industry, and associations, to establish
international university co-operations
 to ensure that the institute always keeps abreast of national and international
developments and positions itself to respond effectively to the country's
needs in education, training, research, consultancy and community services;
 to design and implement, upon ultimate approval by the Supervisory Board,
nomination and appointment systems of officers and academic unit heads of
the institute;
 to ensure that employment and official positions are achieved through
competition and that removal from office is based on performance evaluation,
disciplinary matters and end of tenure of office alone;

- 15 -

 to take all decisions with regard to academic and technical support staffs of
AAiT which are not explicitly given to another body by this bylaw
 to appoint the school deans (in consultation with the academic units) and
academic unit heads
 to determine and implement, upon approval by the Council and the
Supervisory Board, academic unit level governing bodies and structures
guided by the principles of relevance and quality of education and research,
autonomy, efficacy and efficiency of service delivery;
 to develop and implement institutional standard measures and ensure that
the academic and administrative operations of the institute are on the basis of
the standards;
 to inform periodically the Supervisory Board, government and the public
about the state of the institute;
 to represent the institute in all its dealings with third parties;
 to delegate, as may be necessary, his powers and responsibilities to the
deputy

scientific

director

or

appropriate

heads

of

academic

and

administrative units.
In addition to the duties and responsibilities defined in the directive, the Scientific
Director
a. chairs the Council and Managing Board meetings
b. is entitled to overrule decisions of the Managing Board and the Council if
he/she is of the opinion that the decision endangers the development of AAiT
c. is accountable to the Supervisory Board
d. holds a position superior to all academic staff members
e. is entitled to handle, decide and act in case of emergency or of unforeseen
events which are not covered by university or AAiT regulations

- 16 -

4.4. The Managing Director of AAiT


The Managing Director of AAiT is the head of the AAiTs administration and the
supervisor of the non-scientific staffs. He/she leads the transformation process in the
administrative and support areas.

Institute
Management

Managing Director
Deputy Managing
Director

Budget, Finance,
Procurement

Internal Audit

General Service
and Property

Human Resource
Facility Mangt

Student Services
Gender Office

4.4.1. Duties and Responsibilities


a. to take overall responsibility for all matters of organization, structures and
procedures
b. to propose administrative guidelines, manuals and procedures to the
Managing Board
c. to prepare the budget request of the institute and to manage the allocated
budget and all financial affairs of the institute;
d. to ensure that the institute maintains a healthy balance of income and
expenditure and proper books of accounts of all incomes and expenditures;
e. to manage and take decisions on all property at the disposal of the institute in
the interest of the institute;
f. to be responsible for all local and international procurement as well as the
property management of the institute and to act as head of institution in the
sense of Article 8 of the Procurement Proclamation No. 649/2009;
g. to develop the human resource policy for administrative staff
- 17 -

h. to select, manage, and dismiss administrative staff of the institute on the basis
of the law;
i. to guarantee compliance with legal provisions, especially the HEP and other
laws regarding the relationship between AAiT, the university and the
government
j.

to conclude contracts (with the exception of academic agreements) on behalf


of AAiT

k. to ensure that all fundamental operations and substantive transactions of the


institute are appropriately documented in text and data form as appropriate
and that the information is, without prejudice to institutional interests,
appropriately and readily accessible to end users;
l. to take the overall responsibility for controlling, including reporting and
auditing
m. to ensure together with the Scientific Director that Supervisory Board and
council sessions as well as of those other leadership bodies such as the
managing board are well-prepared for and held regularly
n. to ensure that the decisions of the collective governing bodies of AAiT are
implemented
o. Subject to University-wide safety and security regulations and standards, to
build and maintain a reliable safety and security system that protects life and
property in the premises of the institute. The Campus Police in the respective
institute shall report to, and take orders from, both to the Managing Director
and the central administration of the University. In case of conflicts, the
regulations and orders of the President and the chief security officer of the
central administration shall prevail and the Managing Director shall be
informed of any overriding orders in security matters.
p. To delegate, as may be necessary, his/her powers and responsibilities to the
deputy managing director and/or appropriate heads of academic and
administrative units.

- 18 -

4.5. The Deputy Scientific Director


The Deputy Scientific Director should be in general an outstanding Ethiopian
academic, who is acknowledged by the academic and professional community.
He/she will be appointed by the Scientific Director of AAiT for a term of three years
and can be re-appointed for the maximum of one more term

4.5.1. Duties and Responsibilities


The Deputy Scientific Director will coordinate the undergraduate and postgraduate
study programs on the level of the institute and will act as contact person for the
central university. The position will comprise the responsibilities of an Associate
Dean for the Postgraduate Programs and Undergraduate Programs.
The Deputy Scientific Director leads the following support units:

Office of the Associate Registrar

Library

ICT services

He/she is a member of the Management Board and the Council. He/she holds
shared responsibility in all matters with the Scientific Director of AAiT, as decided
by the Scientific Director. He/she acts on behalf of the Scientific Director when the
latter is absent from his office.

4.6. The Director for Research and Technology Transfer


The Director for Research and Technology Transfer is in charge of the overall
coordination of research programs as well as the core competence laboratories at
AAiT. He/she will be appointed by the Scientific Director of AAiT for a term of
three years and can be re-appointed for the maximum of one more term

4.6.1. Duties and Responsibilities


The Director for Research and Technology Transfer will have the following
responsibilities:
 Proposing strategic plans for the development of AAiT towards excellence
in research
- 19 -

 Promoting research publications


 Enhancing the industry links and technology transfer activities at AAiT
 Leading the office for research services and Technology Transfer
 Submitting regular reports to the Council and the Scientific Director on the
research and technology
 Overseeing the activities of the Core Competence Laboratories of AAiT
He/she is a member of the Management Board and the Council.

4.7. The AAiT Reform Office


4.7.1. Members
The AAiT Reform Office is set up by the Scientific Director and initially includes the
Managing Director, the Deputy Scientific Director and a small number of staff
members and students. The office will be supported by a project manager and a
project assistant.
4.7.2. Duties and Responsibilities
The AAiT Reform Office will guide and constantly monitor the change process at
AAiT. It will be responsible for documenting the results, organizing the participation
of the AAiT community in the change and disseminating the progress of the reform.
If necessary, small ad-hoc teams are formed to integrate the expertise of staff and
students in specific topics of the change process.

4.8. The AAiT Council


4.8.1. Members
AAiTs Council will include the following voting members:
 The Scientific Director, the Deputy Scientific Director and the Managing
Director
 The Director of Research and Technology Transfer
 The School Deans and the Heads of the central academic units
- 20 -

 One Chair per School, nominated by the Council of each School


 One technical assistant elected by an assembly of all technical assistants at
AAiT
 One representative of the undergraduate students nominated by the
Student Council
 One representative of the postgraduate students elected by an assembly of
all postgraduate students at AAiT
 One representative of the female academic staffs

The Associate Registrar of AAiT is a non-voting member of the Council.


4.8.2. Duties and Responsibilities
The Council is the main decision making body for academic matters at AAiT and
corresponds with the Senate on the level of the University. It is responsible for the
following consultative and legislative tasks:

Study Programs
 Ensuring the relevance and quality of the educational services of AAiT
 Ensuring that the AAiTs study fields, disciplines and undergraduate,
graduate and PhD programs are demand-based
 Monitoring study programs, quality assurance and enhancement
standards and mechanisms, teaching strategies and standards, student
admission criteria, entrance examinations systems or tests, academic
guidance systems and methods
 Approving the overall structure of curricula at AAiT
 Developing student promotion criteria, exam and re-exams rules of AAiT
 Approving curricula changes and new curricula to be submitted to the
Senate
 Approving

graduations

(in

the

undergraduate

programs) to be submitted to the Senate

- 21 -

and

postgraduate

Research and Outreach activities


 Deliberating the research and technology transfer strategy of AAiT
 Approving the annual research report of the Director for Research and
Technology Transfer

Academic Staff Affairs


 Approving of the recruitment of and promotion to assistant professors and
associate professors
 Recommending the promotion to professor and submit it to the Senate
 Approving an academic staff development strategy
 Developing specific criteria for staff promotion at AAiT
 Disciplinary matters

Institutional Matters
 Approving the Strategic Plan of AAiT
 Examining and approving recommendations by the Management Board
with regards to opening, closing or merging academic units within AAiT
The Council will meet in general every two months and will be chaired by the
Scientific Director. Under urgent circumstances, the Scientific Director or one third
of the Council members can call for an extraordinary meeting. The meeting agenda
will be prepared by the Scientific Director and sent to all members at least one week
before the meeting. Each Council member can propose agenda items.
The Council can only take decisions, when a quorum of half of its members is
present. All decisions of the Council are taken by simple majority vote of the present
members.

Institute Members, which are not members of the Council, can be invited by the
Chairperson to participate in the meetings without voting rights.

- 22 -

4.8.3. Working Groups in the Council


The Council may set up Working Groups to deal with specific issues. The Council
could include the following working groups that are to function according to the
mandate that they are given by the Council:
 Curriculum committees
 Research and publication committee
 Staff promotion committee
 Internal quality and relevance audit team
 Student assessment committee
 Student complaints handling committee
New Committees can be proposed by all members of the AAiT Council. The
committee members are elected by the AAiT Council. Each School is entitled to have
one representative in each of the committees. All staff members can serve in the
Council committees. The committees shall select their chairperson during their first
meeting.

5. Academic Units
It has proven necessary to adapt the organizational structure of the institute to the
growth of AAiT and the enlarging numbers of students and study programs. The
existing department structure has reached its limits and will be replaced by schools
with stronger decision making powers and a professionalized handling of the study
programs. The schools will have the mandate to finally decide on most of the
students and study cases. This will allow the Council of AAiT to focus on guidelines,
quality control and the strategic development of AAiT.

Each School can run several undergraduate and/or postgraduate programs. The
ownership of the study programs by the School allows a more flexible staff
allocation and reduces the bureaucracy. However, in some cases the development
and implementation of new programs need dedicated staff and a decentralized
structure. For interdisciplinary programs which involve more than one School (e.g.
- 23 -

Biomedical Engineering) a Center will be established. Additionally program


units might be established which are in charge of coordinating and developing
specific programs. These units are flexible structures which in some cases might be
transitional but in other cases could grow to a school.

5.1. The Schools


5.1.1. School Deans
The Schools Deans are the leaders of all programs related to a given discipline of
Engineering. These are the dominant Engineering disciplines needed in Ethiopian
society. Currently the undergraduate programs offered at AAiT are
 Chemical Engineering
 Civil and Environmental Engineering
 Electrical and Computer Engineering
 Information Technology and Software Engineering
 Biomedical Engineering
 Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
Other areas of Engineering and Technology will be added depending on industry
demand and Government planning.

The Deans are the line managers of the Chair-holders, thus they should also be
strong researchers. They are responsible for all programs within a School and their
main task is to support the Chairs of the School adequately in the leadership of the
sub-disciplines.
The School Deans assign teaching loads to each of their sub-disciplines and make
sure that the amount of teaching does not interfere with the strategic aim that within
each Discipline research is built up.

- 24 -

5.1.2. Duties and Responsibilities of the School Dean


Each School will be chaired by a Dean. The Dean is appointed by the Scientific
Director and is accountable to him/her. He or she will have the following duties and
powers:

a. direct and coordinate the activities of the School


b. propose strategic plans for the development of the School towards
academic excellence
c. represent the School internally and externally
d. take part in the Council and the Managing Board of AAiT
e. prepare the meetings of the School Council, serve as its chairperson and
implement the decisions of the Council
f. found and maintain an Industry advisory committee
g. coordinate the use of the school facilities (including laboratories and
workshops) and assign responsible chairs for the supervision of specific
facilities
h. submit a quarterly report to the Council and the Scientific Director on the
activities of the School

5.1.3. The School council


Each School will establish a School Council which consists of the following voting
members:
 The School Dean
 The Undergraduate Program Leader
 The Leader of Postgraduate Programs and Research
 The Coordinator of the Undergraduate Programs in Continuing Education
(Extension)
 Three chair-holders
 One representative of the Technical Staff of the School
 One undergraduate student representatives, elected by the Student Council
 One Postgraduate Student
- 25 -

The Associate Registrar of AAiT or his/her representative is a non-voting member of


the Council
5.1.4. Duties and Responsibilities of the School council
The School Council is the decision making body for academic matters at the level of
the School. It is responsible for the following tasks:
a) discussing of the objectives of the School, development plans, budget
needs
b) preparing of reports on the School activities
c) deciding on
aa) the recruitment and promotion of technical support staff and
academic staff up to the rank of lecturer
bb) study and research leaves for academic staff up to the rank of
lecturer
cc) grade changes, grades and academic status of students,
dd) disciplinary cases of students
The decisions under c) will be directly implemented by the Scientific
Director. Only if the Scientific Director is of the opinion that a decision
neither does comply with the rules and regulations of AAiT nor has
any positive implications for the whole institute he will submit it to the
Council of AAiT for a possible revision.
d) recommending to the AAiT council
aa) curricula changes and the establishment of new teaching modules
bb) the recruitment of and promotion to assistant professors and above
cc) the waiver of rules for students
dd)

the establishment or closure of academic units

ee) the graduation of undergraduate and postgraduate students


ff) any proposal on academic matters which concern AAiT as a whole

- 26 -

5.2. The Chairs


5.2.1. The concept of Chairs
In the last two years AAiT has introduced a chair system with currently 23 chairs. It
is important to stress the fact that the AAiT Chairs are the main units of the
institutions. The Chairs form the nucleus of AAiT and are formed based on the
various areas of specialization within a given core study area or discipline. They are
the smallest and most empowered functional units in the academic structure, have
full academic autonomy and are led by their professors. The chair holders have a
direct relation to the School Dean and to the other chairs in the School. This
strengthens their position. The duties and responsibilities of the Chair are described
in the following sections.

5.2.2. Duties and Responsibilities


Chairs are appointed by the Scientific Director in consultation with the School Dean.
The appointment is based on academic and research merits and also on practical
experience and professional merits. He or she must have a suitable academic rank
with relevant publications in the area of specialization in order to qualify for the
position in the future.
Each chair holder is responsible for:
 Ensuring that the teaching-learning process within a discipline is focused on
academic principles that are up to date and emphasize research and an
enquiry-based approach
 Focusing on bridging the gap between theory and practical knowledge
through strong partnerships between the academic staff, students and
industrial partners
 Planning, implementing and monitoring the chairs academic and research
activities
 Autonomously administering the budget allocated to the Chair and funds
obtained from the chairs external, third-party research and development
activities
- 27 -

 Initiating and executing interdisciplinary research and development


 Integrating student research and projects in order to increase their relevance
and ensure that the results of such efforts benefit the stakeholder sponsors
 Regularly conferring with members of the unit on such matters as the courses
they will teach, their scheduling and the selection of textbooks and laboratory
manuals
 Periodically revising the course contents and securing supplementary
teaching materials
 Counseling of new and junior staff members, carrying out necessary
performance assessments and making arrangements for the professional
development of all staff within a sub-discipline
 Line management of all academic staff and technical staff within the subdiscipline
Subject to the infrastructure development, it is planned that each chair holder will be
responsible for a research lab.

5.3. Postgraduate Program Leader and Research Coordinator


Each School will appoint one PG program leader and Research Coordinator. He/she
is responsible to the corresponding Dean.

5.3.1. Duties and Responsibilities


The PG Program leader and Research Coordinator shall:
 coordinate all PhD work and research with the PhD professors and students
 ensure the quality of all PhD work and research at the School
 ensure that the research topics for PhD programs and masters projects are
chosen such that they are of direct benefit to the Ethiopian society
 ensure that all rules and regulations of AAU and AAiT are followed and
guaranteed in the PhD Programs
 coordinate the Postgraduate programs at the School (regular classes as well as
continuing education)
- 28 -

5.4. Undergraduate Program Leader


Each School will appoint one UG program leader. He/she is responsible to the
corresponding Dean.

5.4.1. Duties and Responsibilities


The UG Program leader shall:
 coordinate all UG programs in the respective School
 ensure the quality of all UG programs at the School
 ensure that all the UG students are taking their respective courses in line
with the AAU legislation
 handle and submit all UG students cases in discussion with the School
Dean and the School Council
 ensure/advertise the delivery of the semester courses by the responsible
chair.

6. Academic Reform Areas


6.1. Improving the Teaching and Learning at AAiT
6.1.1. Curricula Revision and Development in BSc Study Programs
The Bachelor Programs will serve as an introduction to Engineering and Information
Technology. Bachelor Programs will transfer knowledge in natural and technological
sciences; business related disciplines as well as humanistic disciplines. The students
should be enabled and prepared to seek employment in industry or continue and
deepen their studies in domestic and international Master Programs.

AAiT will re-assess the existing curricula with the objective to improve the quality
and at the same time to reduce the duration of the programs from five years to four
years which is the international standard. In collaboration with other IoTs and MoE,
AAiT will develop proposals how to redefine the undergraduate engineering degree
programs so that globally acceptable academic programs are put in place soon.

- 29 -

6.1.2. Curricula Revision and Development in MSc Programs


AAiT currently runs more than 30 MSc programs. These Masters Programs provide
substantial in depth knowledge, skills and understanding in areas required within
the Ethiopian industry. Masters students should typically be students right after
they have finished their Bachelor Degree as well as students who have already
substantial industry experience.

AAiT will continue working with public and private stakeholders in order to
develop practice oriented Master-Programs. However, it will be necessary to
consolidate the existing programs and to attract sufficient national and international
staff for teaching and supervising.

6.1.3. PhD Programs


In the PhD work, a special field or a special question towards the field will be
investigated in an independent, integrative and scientific approach. The aim of
dissertations at AAiT is to lead the PhD students towards independent, self-reliant
research.
The number of internal PhD students need to be increased substantially in order to
meet the demands of AAiT and the other Ethiopian universities for highly qualified
teaching staff. Due to its staff structure, AAiT has to play a leading role in the in
country PhD education. In 2012, the first internal PhD students have defended their
thesis in Industrial Engineering at AAiT. Their research projects were jointly
supervised by Polytechnico Torino and AAiT. These are the first PhD degrees in
engineering which have ever been granted by an Ethiopian university.

The sandwich approach should be continued and enhanced. Instead of sending


staff for several years abroad, AAiT needs to give more staff the opportunity to do
their PhD work partly at AAiT and partly at an international university. It is
important that AAiT can include these joint PhD projects in all its international
university co-operations. Specifically in engineering, it is necessary for the PhD
- 30 -

students to have exposure to an international, state of the art research environment.


It will be the aim of AAiT to keep as many PhD students in the country as possible
and engage them from the very beginning in the teaching and research tasks of the
Institute.

6.1.4. Teaching Quality


It is essential that all programs are delivered at a level of highest quality. In order to
achieve this, it is essential that we measure teaching quality. This will be done via
mandatory student surveys for every course taught at AAiT. These surveys will
result in a Good Teaching Scale (amongst other criteria). This scale will be used as
the basis for teaching awards as well as for setting up mentoring schemes in which
lecturers with a low score are supported by lecturers with a high score in the Good
Teaching Scale.

6.1.5. Teaching Methods


At AAiT we need to make major efforts to adopt state-of-the-art teaching methods,
including e-learning and the use of freely available lectures from various sources. In
particular inexperienced teachers should be encouraged to make use of these freely
available lectures and offer themselves tutorial type of support to the students. There
are proven methods existing in which such lecturers act as facilitators, watch and
discuss with students videos of lectures of the highest quality.

To cope with heavy teaching workloads for all academic staffs, we should develop
revolutionary means such as Open Ware Courses offered freely by MIT for the maximum outsourcing. By taking this revolutionary way and with setting up of advanced internet-based classrooms, academic staffs' teaching loads may be greatly
reduced. Without conducting actual lectures themselves, academic staffs can effectively utilize teaching assistants in graduate-level for the class supervisory works.
Eventually, academic staffs can be more productive spending more time on their
focused research areas.

- 31 -

6.1.6. Responsibility for the regional universities


With its postgraduate programs, AAiT will meet the demands of industry, will
qualify its present and future academic staff and last but not least will enable the
staffs of the regional universities to upgrade their academic qualifications. In
planning the contents and the intake of its MSc and PhD programs, AAiT will take
the needs of the regional universities into regard.

6.2. Academic Staff Development


If AAiT staff members are to meet the expectations of their students and the
demands of the industry and the economy, it will be imperative that they are well
trained and qualified. Not only is the achievement of certain qualification and
competence levels essential, but continuous professional development must also be
sustained and engrained in the institutional culture.
If AAiT is to play a key role in the development of regional and national economies,
it will be necessary to have competent staff members who are able to meet the
challenges of the industry. The Institute needs to develop and maintain the
necessary organizational competencies in order to be competitive and attractive to
the industry. As an academic and research institute, AAiT should provide all staff
members with ample opportunities for their career development.

6.2.1. Qualification of the Academic Staff


At the former Faculty of Technology (North), around 25 % of the teaching staffs had
a PhD degree. In the last two years the percentage decreased to 20%. The reasons for
this are that AAiT recruited a substantial number of additional teaching staff but
could not increase the absolute number of PhD holders. The majority of the new
staffs have only BSc degree.

In order to reach its objectives, AAiT has to reverse this trend. For all BSc-holders in
the teaching staffs it will be obligatory to enroll in the MSc programs after having
served one year in the institute. By this measure, the percentage of BSc holders will
be kept at around 20 %.

- 32 -

The percentage of PhD holders should reach at least 30 % of the teaching staffs. In
order to meet this objective AAiT will actively try to attract former staffs that
completed their PhD abroad. Additionally it is planned to recruit good graduates
directly after their second degree and to offer them positions of researchers with the
opportunity to do their PhD in an internal program in cooperation with an
international university.

6.2.2. Continuous Professional Development


Ongoing professional development must be a responsibility that is shared by the
Institute as well as the individual staff members. Both the Institute and the staff
member must be committed to the achievement of developmental goals.

For the individual teacher, professional development is not only his/her personal
responsibility to complete training or educational qualification, but also the
professional responsibility must extend to being updated on the practical skills and
current developments in their fields of specialization. The failure of a staff member
to take part in professional development activities will be considered as
unacceptable professional conduct, as the students are to be provided with the
highest quality of teaching and research services. The individual staff member needs
to keep in mind that todays knowledge and current information can land on the
scrap heap tomorrow and that keeping up-to-date is therefore essential.

Each Chair / Academic School needs to prepare a strategic academic staff


development scheme and submit this to the Scientific Director and Managing
Director of AAiT for proper decision making and resourcing. The Schools and other
units need to periodically revise their academic staff development plans.

Sabbaticals are encouraged to be used for the professional development of academic


staffs (e.g. through research stays abroad). The current practice to grant sabbatical
leaves without submitting a project has to be changed. AAiT also will give its
academic staff the opportunity to attend international conferences to present their
- 33 -

research work and to attend specific trainings in their research fields but also in soft
skills like didactics, leadership etc.

The Institutes image is the reflection of its staff profile, its core capacities and its
particular areas of excellence. The Institute will develop and project a unique profile
in order to identify and market itself in todays intensely competitive environment.

6.2.3. Distance Education Including e-Learning


The development of information technology has enabled the expansion of and access
to higher education to many who otherwise may not have been able to continue their
studies. Staff members will be encouraged to exploit every academic staff
development opportunity available through distance education, including eLearning. Such programs will widen the options and possibilities for achieving
academic staff development targets, while providing the participants with flexibility
and convenience.

6.3. Technical Staff


The Institutes staff members who are directly engaged in support activities for the
teaching and learning processes are categorized as technical staff. The technical staff
works in the various chairs, research projects, technology parks, workshops,
audiovisual centers and other institutional units. Their working time is primarily
devoted to applied research and development, managing AAiTs machinery and
laboratory resources, IT administration and other resources that require specialized
knowledge and expertise.
These staff members may also be assigned as research advisors and project leaders
or take on teaching assignments if necessary. Industrial experience is often needed in
order to be appointed as an AAiT technical staff member.
It is indispensable for AAiT to upgrade the qualification of its technical staff. To do
research, the institute needs to establish an independent career path for technical
staff.

AAiT therefore relies on the support of the government to establish positions

and ranks for technical staff with a BSc or MSc degree.


- 34 -

The Institute shall continually provide its technical staff with opportunities for
further education and professional development. They will also be provided with
the same benefits to which the academic staff members are entitled, subject to the
Universitys regulations and other relevant laws.

6.4. Enhancing Research


One of the major weaknesses of AAiT is the lack of research outputs. As an
advanced Institute of Technology, AAiT seriously needs to change this situation by
improving the working environment for research-oriented staffs and by establishing
the necessary infrastructure.

6.4.1. Encouraging staffs to do research


Currently, AAiT staffs use most of the working time for teaching. Almost all of the
staff members are heavily burdened by teaching more than the obligatory 12 credit
hours in the regular as well as in the evening programs. Additionally, there is a
strong involvement in consultancy work. But almost none of the staff members are
doing any serious research although they have the necessary skills and knowledge.
The chair system has laid the ground for research groups but has so far not brought
a break- through. To improve the working environment of the staff it is necessary
to address different levels:
a) The teaching load of staff needs to be reduced by new, revolutionary technology
based teaching methods such as Open Ware Courses offered by MIT for the
maximum use (with advanced internet-based classrooms); by consequently
involving PG students in the teaching process, by recruiting additional staff and
possibly by reducing the length of the BSc study to four years. PhD holders
should mainly teach in PG programs.
b) There have to be financial incentives for doing research so that the staffs do not
lose income compared to staffs involved in overload teaching and/or
consultancy.
c) The internal PhD programs (in collaboration with international partners) need to
- 35 -

be enhanced so that in each school there are a higher number of PhD students
working on research projects.
d) There should be a possibility to employ academic staffs as researchers.

6.4.2. Establishing core competence research laboratories


AAiT needs to focus on certain areas where internationally competitive research
capacity can be built up. It is not realistic to upgrade the whole institute at once.
Therefore six core competence laboratories such as Civil and Infrastructure, Energy,
Water and Environment, Food Technology, and others will be established in two
phases. The decision on suitable other core competence areas will be taken after
additional assessments. It depends on the existing staff qualification and on the
demand of the Ethiopian government.
The PhD students of AAiT will be the main work force in the core competence labs.
By offering state of the art facilities for conducting research, the internal PhD
programs of AAiT will be strengthened and there will be a close link between
teaching and research.

6.5. Improving External Links / Industry Linkage


AAiT is dedicated to the exchange of knowledge in teaching, research and projects
with others. It is interested in a knowledge transfer with others and acknowledges
the needs of the economy and the economic development of Ethiopia. Out of this,
AAiT will proactively search for external relationships and partners to begin
mutually beneficial collaborations.

The Institute will continue providing consulting services to industry and develop
strategies to build a market profile. New engineering and information technology
methods will be at the forefront of those research collaborations and implemented
into the industry sector as soon as possible.

6.5.1. Industry Advisory Committee


AAiT will set up an Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) consisting of leaders of the
- 36 -

local industry sector which will give advice on all matters of technology transfer,
study program development and research demands.

With the support of this

committee the links and collaboration between AAiT and the Ethiopian industry will
be strengthened.
The Scientific Director determines the membership in this Committee. The IAC will
meet one time per semester.

6.5.1. Support unit External Relations


AAiT has established a University-Industry-Linkage and a Technology Transfer
Office. Additionally, a research coordinator supports the office of the Associate Dean
for Postgraduate Programs and Research.
It is planned to integrate these units and to add a public relations office. By this, a
strong support unit external relations will be established which can support the
institute in improving the contacts with industry and outside technology community
and in presenting its services and achievements via brochures, web presentations,
etc.

6.6. Student Participation


6.6.1. Participation in Decision-Making Processes
Students are the primary service users of the AAiT and the Institute should therefore
ensure that their needs are met.
Student representatives should be members of the various forums and take part in
other forums in which student issues are discussed and decisions are made. Students
should be involved in decision-making processes as much as possible, through
representatives that are elected by the student body or the Institutes Student
Council. Decisions pertaining to student affairs need to be transparent and records
must be made available to them. The Institute can be greatly strengthened if their
students are empowered and student participation in the provision of quality
services is increased.
Transformation processes, such as the establishment of an autonomous Institute,
require that students be engaged at various levels during the entire change process.
- 37 -

As primary customers of the AAiT, their demands should be at the center of the
service provision of the AAiT. It is therefore imperative that students participate and
measures that facilitate student involvement need to be planned and executed.

6.6.2. Student Information


A student handbook, updated as regularly as possible, should be issued and made
available to all students. It should include relevant information regarding their
rights and responsibilities, academic programs, advisory services, courses, academic
rules and regulations, library and IT facilities, entertainment, assistance and support
centers, student job opportunities, accommodation and health services, among other
issues.
Additionally, the AAiT website will provide comprehensive information on student
related issues which is regularly up-dated.

6.6.3. Student Council


The Student Council provides a way for students to be actively engaged in the Institutes governance and also provide support for the improvement of its services. As
student involvement in the Institutes affairs is vital, the Institute leadership should
open their doors to these elected representatives. This Student Council will help the
Institutes leadership, Schools and staff members to articulate the needs, opinions
and concerns of the student body. The Student Council will be elected by students
by majority vote.

6.6.4. Student Clubs and Associations


AAiT will support extracurricular activities of students and will be open for different
student clubs and other recognized associations.

6.7. Gender mainstreaming


6.7.1. Situation
AAiT currently has a very small percentage of female academic staffs in the ranks of
technical assistant, graduate assistant up to lecturer. There is no female PhD holder.
No academic unit is led by female teaching staff.
- 38 -

Partly due to the affirmative action of the government, around 20% of the first year
students are female. Unfortunately, the attrition rate of female students is much
higher than that of their male colleagues. Reasons seem to be that female high school
students are much more involved into household work than their brothers. There
have less time for studying and are less supported by their family. Especially girls
from the rural regions seem to have difficulties to adapt to the culture of the capital
and to the university life. In the first year, they often feel helpless and afraid.

6.7.2. Planned activities


The female academic staffs of AAiT have recently decided to form an association in
order to promote the women in the academic area. In the future, a representative of
the women should be member of the AAiT council.

AAiT will support female staff in their further education. In all programs and
scholarships it will be tried to have a fair percentage of female participants.

AAiT has started to give special tutorials to female first year students in order to
reduce the attrition rate. Additionally, it is planned to organize special orientation
groups for female students in order to facilitate the first months outside of the
family. In the planning of buildings and office space the interests of the female
students and staff will be taken into regard.

The Gender Office will be strengthened. AAiT will develop a gender policy to
improve the situation of females on the campus.

- 39 -

7. Administrative and Support Units


In the first transformation phase the following administrative and support units
have been established or strengthened:

Finance, Budget and Procurement

Human Resource Management

Property Management and General Service

Student Services

Facility Management

ICT Services

Library

Associate Registrar

University-Industry-Linkage/Technology Transfer, Research Coordinator

This Heads of the Units meet weekly in order to exchange information, to evaluate
the progress in the different units and to set up common projects. The Managing
Director of AAiT informs the team members on the decisions taken in the
Management Board.

7.1. Finance, Budget and Property Administration


7.1.1. Income Generation
Public Funding
The AAiT will be funded by the Federal Government through the Ministry of
Finance and Economic Development. As soon as possible, the Institute will receive
its annual budget in the form of a block grant according to Art. 62 Higher Education
Proclamation. The current system whereby AAiT has no direct relationship with the
Ministry of Finance but receives its budget via the main university should be
changed in the future. For the successful transformation of AAiT it would be
important that the development of the infrastructure and the budget requested for
specific measures can be negotiated directly with the government.
- 40 -

Tuition Fees:
AAiT will receive the tuition fees paid by the MSc students to the University. The
university can charge a share from the fees to cover its overhead costs.

Consultancy and Commercial Activities


In addition to the Governmental funding it will, however, be essential for AAiT to
continue and enhance its successful income generation. As already introduced in the
previous years, the Managing Board will allocate a certain amount of the internal
revenue to the Schools and the chairs and will retain a central share for central tasks.
On the basis of a budget plan approved by the Managing Board, AAiT will have the
discretion to freely spend its internal revenue in order to support the objectives of
the transformation process. Specifically, AAiT will be entitled to use part of its
internal revenue for student projects, research incentives, staff benefits and
international collaboration.

7.1.2. Budget Planning and Allocation


The Institutes budget will be allocated to its Schools and central units according to
the institutional priorities set by its Management Board. The Schools shall be
responsible for planning and supervising their own budget.

7.1.3. Finance and Budget Unit


AAiTs finance and budget unit is responsible for all of the Institutes financial,
accounting and payroll services, whether the funding comes from the state, regional
authorities, students, contractual partners, public or private donors or any third
parties. It is also responsible for inducing all kinds of expenditures.

The financial administration will be handled centrally in order to avoid ineffective


structures on the level of the Schools and to keep a lean administration.

The unit supports the improvement of the institutions financial efficiency by way of
proper financial management, controlling and reporting. The use of computerized
- 41 -

accounting system which was introduced in the previous budget year will be further
improved in order to increase efficiency and transparency.

The unit is also responsible for preparing the annual budget that is to be submitted
to the top management. Upon budget approval, this office is responsible for
monitoring the budget (which is most likely in the form of a block grant) and
submitting budget monitoring reports to the Managing Director of AAiT. The
Finance and Budget unit prepares relevant monthly financial statements and reports
that support the Institutes decision-making processes.

It oversees the all monetary decisions in accordance to financial rules, regulations


and guidelines in the interest of AAiT.

7.1.4. Procurement Unit


AAiT has established its own procurement unit. This unit is responsible for national
and international purchases on the basis of the Ethiopian laws and directives. This
unit has to be further strengthened in order to improve the procurement processes at
AAiT. At the same time, the schools need to take more responsibility in expenditure
and procurement planning. Only by a joint effort, it can be ensured that the
necessary materials and equipment for the core processes in teaching and research
are always available on time.
7.1.5. Property Management
The newly established property management unit is in charge of introducing an
effective, software based property management including the disposal of unused
goods.
7.1.6. Internal Audit
AAiT will set up its own unit for internal audits in order to control the finance and
procurement processes.

- 42 -

7.2. Gender office


The gender office has the task to promote gender equality for students and staff. The
office needs to be strengthened in the future.

7.3. Infrastructure and Facility Administration


AAiT faces huge maintenance tasks. The buildings on the central campus are in
already in a bad state but the buildings of the former School of Pharmacy and the
dormitory/cafeteria area are much worse. The fast increase of students and staff
brings additional pressure on the old structures.

The newly established facility management unit has started to maintain and repair
the most urgent damages. Additionally, new office space has been created by
partitioning underused areas and projects like an additional toilet building, student
cafeteria and the expansion of the administrative wing have been planned.

A central classroom management has been introduced and will be further improved.
In the coming years, the process has to be accelerated by providing additional
budget, recruiting additional staffs, outsourcing part of the tasks to external
companies and improving the procurement processes.

7.4. Human Resource Unit


Notwithstanding the human resource policies and procedures of the University, the
Human Resources Management Office is responsible for providing all aspects of
human resource support services to all academic and administrative AAiT units.
These services include:
 Developing, implementing and coordinating the Institutes human resource
procedures and policies (including performance management), as well as
university and other government regulations that are pertinent to the
institutions employees

- 43 -

 Assisting in staff recruitment, selection and performance assessment


 Supporting proper salary administration, promotions and personnel records
 Implementing general human resource administration
 Concluding, extending or terminating employment contracts
 Preparing relevant and timely reports related to human resource issues and
submitting them to the Managing Director of AAiT
 Providing recommendations and monitoring employee relations and
employee welfare.

7.5. Student Services


The Unit for Student Services is in charge of the student dormitories, the cafeteria
and the clinic. It works closely together with the Student Council.
The new position of a student counselor has been established and will be filled as
soon as possible.

Up to now the Student Services are closely linked with the central university. A
concept to fully take over the food services is under preparation but is difficult to
implement under the current space situation.

7.6. ICT-Services
AAiT has established a unit for ICT services which is responsible for
 Network administration
 Internet and Email services
 Technical support for users
 Coordination of computer labs
 Planning and monitoring technical equipment
 Support of academic staff in multimedia and e-learning
Whereas some progress has been made, the unit suffers from different factors like
high staff turn-over, lack of budget, slow procurement processes and a series of
thefts/break-ins.

- 44 -

AAiT has to be provided with a capable, proper, working and demand-related


technical infrastructure. The IT, Infrastructure has to implement the precondition of
a high-speed internet connection. Only with this instrument, is high quality teaching
and research possible, since library and other print media are outdated and not up to
standard.
AAiT will establish an advisory board consisting of experts from the academic
departments which will monitor and consult the ICT service unit. The unit will
report to the Deputy Scientific Director.

7.7. Associate Registrar


The office of the Associate Registrar is dedicated to matters related to records of
student admission, readmission, registration for courses and exams, scheduling
lessons and classrooms, examination schedules and administration, issuing
academic credentials, transferring credits, authenticating documents and providing
other student and alumni services.
The Office shall:
 Ensure the quality and promptness of the offices services and the proper
application of university rules and regulations
 Document and update the Institutes course catalogue, admission,
placement and graduation procedures and requirements for easy public
access
 Organize and provide educational statistical data and reports to the
Institute, the University and other users of the information in a timely and
accurate manner
 Periodically publish the Institutes prospectus, course catalogue and
student handbook and ensure that it is accessible to the public
 Provide relevant information attained by conducting studies on improving
the current academic rules and regulations

- 45 -

In the future, a Student Information System will be introduced in order to provide


efficient and reliable service. Additionally, the statistical data of the institute need to
be updated and provided to the Management.

The unit will report to the Deputy Scientific Director.

7.8. Library
The staff of the campus library has been transferred to AAiT but organizationally the
library is still a part of the central library which will be continued in the future.

The team of the campus library has been working on the digitalization of a high
number of engineering books. Now the concept has to be better advertised and the
computer access has to be urgently improved for the full use of the electronic media.
The unit will report to the Deputy Scientific Director.

7.9. The External Relations Unit


AAiT will establish an External Relations Unit which consists of the TT business
unit, the Public Relations office and the International Office. By combining these
three units synergy effects can be reached and an effective team structure built up.

Part of the role of External Relations Unit is to establish an Alumni organization in


order to strengthen the public-private with the industry. Therefore, it should be one
of the goals to establish a vital Alumni organization.

7.9.1. Technology Transfer Management


The Technology Transfer units objectives and tasks shall include the following:
Communication between the AAiT and industries/community
 Creating an atmosphere that is conducive to research and innovation by
harnessing the capabilities of the Institutes staff, students and resources
 Developing information services for scientific results and technologies for
the industry and vice versa
- 46 -

 Marketing the Institutes teaching, research and consultancy resources and


capabilities to the industry and society
 Proactively requesting and engaging in supporting regional governments
in industrial and technology policy development initiatives
 Providing AAiT with general information on the market and demand
development in the industry
 Matching concrete demands from the industry with expertise available
within AAiT
Project promotion
 Brokerage, initiation and moderation of co-operation projects between
AAiT staff and enterprises
 Announcing national and international TT programs
 Developing the TT Business Unit as an important income-generating
center by providing services to industry and the community
 Jointly preparing technology transfer and appropriate technology
development projects with the industry and soliciting research funding
from the industry or other third-parties
 Establishing strong partnerships with the industry and the private sector
through joint collaboration in research and projects
 Working closely with companies that require research and technical
assistance

in

order

to

develop

new products,

shorten product

development cycles and improve manufacturing processes


 Consulting industries and businesses in order to access current
technologies and research results for commercialization
 Conducting services related to industrial testing, commissioning and
evaluations of industrial products, process improvements and services
Organizational support
 Providing legal and organizational support services for cooperative efforts
 Acting as a first point of contact for questions on Intellectual Property (IP)
 Consulting on and administering supporting funds
- 47 -

 Providing

students,

graduates

and

academic

staff

with

temporary

employment services within the TT business unit.

Support of start ups


 Assisting students and other business entrepreneurs by acting as an incubator
for internal or external ventures.
 Locating and securing funds and grants for supporting innovative ideas and
initiating business concepts and newly developed technologies.

7.9.2. Qualified Internship System and Career Development


The objectives and tasks of this unit are:
 To develop the graduates practical skills through a qualified internship
system
 To increase and ensure employability, thus contributing to the competitiveness of the Ethiopian economy
 To meet the needs of the current and future labor markets with capable future
staff
 To develop the AAiT as a trustworthy and attractive partner for the industry
 To produce graduates that have a high potential to fill the current and future
positions that are crucial to the developing economy

7.9.3. Research Coordinator


The research coordinator supports the staff of AAiT in applying for research funds
and doing research. He/she is in charge of
 Giving information on research funding possibilities
 Supporting staff with writing proposals
 Organizing trainings for PG students in scientific writing, proposal
preparation, project management
 Coordinating internal research funds

- 48 -

7.9.4. The Public Relations Office


The AAiT has to specify its profile, to enhance its publicity and to address its targets
groups and stakeholders effectively. This point is not only to be stressed because of
the Institutes interest in becoming a globally leading institute but also by the
country-wide need to promote the technological study programs. Out of this
absolute necessity, a Cooperate Identity (CI) has to be developed and marketed.
(Graphic Design, Webpage, external press material, etc.)

The duties and responsibilities of AAiTs public relations office include, but are not
limited to, the following:
 Serving as an interface between AAiT and its stakeholders and local and
international collaborators
 Planning, coordinating and executing internal and external public relations
activities and events at the local and national levels
 Developing and implementing strategies to enhance AAiTs positive image
 Preparing and distributing press releases announcing important AAiT news,
information and events
 Coordinating efforts to secure media coverage and other appropriate outlets
to communicate AAiT messages to target audiences
 Reaching out and engaging with members of the industry, professional
associations, employers, alumni and other stakeholders for mutual benefits
 Documenting, arranging and exhibiting significant AAiT projects and events
and maintaining archives of such valuable information and media products
 Organizing AAiTs calendar of events, including such events as open house
for young students, industry members and the community

8. Reform Areas in Management and Administration


8.1. Upgrading of Administrative staff
The establishment of well-performing management functions and the respective
structures is a crucial point for the success of AAiT. In the current situation at
Ethiopian universities,

administrative

procedures are

- 49 -

often considered as

bureaucratic and obstructive to the core processes. There is a strong need to build up
lean and efficient administrative structures, which facilitate the management of the
entire Institute.

The administrative units will not only be responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Institute but they will support the leadership of AAiT in
planning and implementing the transformation process. E.g. the Human Resource
Unit is expected not only to prepare employment contracts but also to develop staff
assessment schemes and to assist in the selection of staff. The staff members will be
encouraged to work in a self directed way and to present suggestions to the
management on how to improve the processes in their working area. They have to
be empowered to take decisions while carrying out their tasks. Administrative tasks
will be shifted as much as possible from the academic staffs to the management
support units. These units will be organized as service providers who support the
core tasks of AAiT which are teaching, research and knowledge-transfer.

In order reach the aims described above, the management units have to be
upgraded. As in industrialized countries, the leading positions in the management
units at least have to be filled with highly motivated and well qualified staffs (often
with an academic degree). The existing administrative staff will be trained
systematically to be enabled to take over new tasks. At least in the medium term it is
necessary that performance-based remuneration schemes are introduced which
allow paying competitive salaries not only to the academic but also to the
administrative staff. The Managing Director of AAiT will lead the reform process in
the administration but in order to change the mind-set of the staff members and to
reach sustainable results it is necessary to actively involve the unit leaders in the
transformation process.

The AAiT administrative structure needs to be as lean as possible, instead of having


a large number of employees with low-level qualifications.

- 50 -

8.2. IT support for administrative processes


The use of ICT in the administration of AAiT needs to be enhanced. Currently, the
Registrar office and the Finance office use software products which were provided
by the main university for all faculties and colleges. Both products have deficiencies
but cannot be simply replaced by AAiT because of the interfaces to the central
administration. Together with the Main Registrar, a safe Student Information System
needs to be developed which allows teachers to directly enter the student grades and
which in the future allows online student registration. Property management
software is under development. For the Human Resource Management, it is planned
to customize open source software. Gradually, all the administrative processes will
be software supported and the support staff will be trained accordingly.

Electronic data of the administration need to be stored on a central server with a


reliable back-up system. Internal guidelines, minutes, forms etc. will be accessible
through the intranet.

8.3. Housing for Staffs


Currently, only a very small number of senior academic staff benefits from
university housing. The vast majority of staffs are forced to rent apartments on the
open market. The prices for house rent have increased drastically in Addis Ababa.

If AAiT is able to offer affordable housing, it will be the best and much easier to
convince staffs to return after having completed their PhD studies abroad. It would
also help to retain senior staffs who are now applying for positions in other African
countries.

AAiT plans to establish a task force which works out a scheme for buying land and
constructing apartment houses for AAiT staffs. To implement such a scheme, the
strong support of the Supervisory Board is needed.
- 51 -

8.4. Additional Buildings


The central campus of AAiT was built forty (40) years ago for a very small number
of students and it is evident that AAiT cannot reach its objectives without an
expansion of the campus. AAiT faces an acute need of classrooms, offices,
workshops, student areas including dormitories. The current attempts to alleviate
the problems by transferring single classrooms to AAiT are short-term emergency
measures. But provisional measures are only acceptable for staffs and students if
there is light in the tunnel which means that AAiT immediately needs a binding
commitment of the government to provide land and budget for a new building
construction project.

9. Goals and Milestones of Evolving the Reform Process


Reform Planning is an ever-changing process. The goals and milestones in this
chapter will be exposed continuously to evaluation, critical assessment and also
adaptation and change.
The concept for the reforming of AAiT is listed in the following work-packages:
WP1: Reform on Studies
WP2: Reform on Staff Capacity Development
WP3 Reform on Research and Industrial Linkage
WP4 Reform on International Cooperation
WP5 Reform on Governance and Institutional Management
WP6 Reform on Infrastructure

9.1. WP1: Reform on Studies


WP 1.1 Students Admission Requirements
Objective
AAiT is striving to be a leading engineering and technology institute of the
nation. This partly depends on the intelligence of the students of the AAiT.
Adaptation of new technologies and advancements, potentials for new
- 52 -

inventions and innovations and their speedy implementations are results of


students and staffs that have natural and intellectual tendencies towards that.
This, therefore, requires that AAiT has a say on the students entering the AAiT,
both in the undergraduate and the postgraduate studies.
Current Status
The Ministry of Education (MoE) assigns students from the preparatory highschools to the different universities, including AAiT, and areas of specializations.
Therefore, every year the MoE decides who and how many of them join the
AAiT.

Reform Indicators

By Sept 2012, AAiT gets the mandate from MoE to set its own criteria on
students that are to be admitted to the AAiT.

By Sept 2012, AAiT decides on the admission requirements of students, either based on their high school grades or by conducting entrance examinations.

By Sept. 2012, AAiT reaches an agreement with MoE on the number of


students to be admitted to AAiT.
WP1. 2: Technology Assisted Teaching/Learning

Objective
With the large number of students both in the undergraduate and postgraduate
studies inside and outside AAiT, specially in engineering fields, the classical way of
teaching students would require large number of class rooms, large number of
lecturers to conduct courses, and huge amount of space. Additionally, many AAiT
senior staffs travel to the different regional universities to assist in teaching block
courses in areas the regional universities lack professors. This is both time and
resource consuming and innovative and revolutionary ways are required to address
these prevailing problems.

- 53 -

Current Status

Two (2) video conferencing class rooms for reception of programs that run
with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, (IIT-Delhi) are functioning.

One temporary studio was established for the transmission of live video lectures but it is equipped only with provisional recording/transmitting equipment.

Reform Indicators

Starting 2012, AAiT shall become the nations Centre of Technology Assisted
Teaching/Learning IoT both in the Postgraduate and Undergraduate programs.
o For AAiT/AAU courses
o For Regional Universities

By end of 2012, AAiT shall have at least four (4) high definition (HD) live
broadcasting teaching class rooms.

Starting 2013, AAiT shall deliver courses and trainings for the industry using technology assisted teaching techniques.

End of 2013/14, AAiT shall have a minimum of ten (10) such class rooms.

WP 1.3 Open Lectures


Objective
Some courses may not require the traditional face-to-face way of teaching. So, for
this type of courses, availing the course for online teaching would facilitate
remote delivery on the campus as well as for regional universities and ease the
shortage of physical resources on campus.

Current Status
 The ICT office has recruited two multimedia designers to support the introduction of online teaching.

- 54 -

 A limited initiative to use Moodle as a tool for online course delivery has
been started by some instructors.
Reform Indicators
 2012, selected academic staffs are trained in preparation of online teaching
 2012, some undergraduate courses will be readied for online teaching
 2013, some postgraduate courses are available for online teaching and also
in power point.
 2013, all academic staffs are trained in preparation of courses for online
teaching.
 2013/14, all postgraduate courses are readied for online teaching
 End of 2014, most of undergraduate and postgraduate courses shall be
readied for online teaching.
WP 1.4 Upgrading Teaching Laboratories
Objective
All students at AAiT will be offered practical training in the teaching laboratories
in order to become practical oriented and skilled engineers. Therefore the
existing teaching laboratories in the different departments/schools of AAiT need
to be upgraded and/or duplicated in order to accommodate the existing large
number of students.
Additionally, for the new programs and specializations being opened in the
different departments/schools (e.g. the programs in Biomedical Engineering,
Railway Engineering, and Sugar Technology) adequate laboratory facilities need
to be established.
Current Status
 The teaching laboratories in each department/school are fairly suitable for
the courses taught by the Chairs.
 The sizes of the laboratories, and in some cases, the equipment, however,
need upgrading or duplication to accommodate the large student numbers.

- 55 -

 New programs have been started with the expectation that the necessary
teaching laboratories will be established soon.
Reform Indicators
 2012/13, all Chairs prepare plans, specify and request budgets in their areas of specializations. In doing so, the currently available laboratories
need to be re-equipped in a way that suits each Chair and accommodates
the number of students.
 2013/2014, each Chair shall own and run its own research laboratory with
up to date equipment.
 2014, all new programs shall have their own teaching laboratories.
WP 1.5: PhD/M.Sc. Program Expansions
Objective
AAiT is the major (if not the only) higher institution in the country offering
graduate programs for would be Lecturers in the Regional Universities.
Additionally, AAiT is educating graduates to fill the skill gap that some major
corporations face in line with the current Government Growth and
Transformation Program (GTP). The Graduate Programs for Ethiopian Roads
Authority (ERA) and Ethiopian Railway Corporations (ERC) are examples of
such Graduate Programs.

Current Status
Following table indicates the number of students in the different Graduate
Programs of AAiT:
M.Sc.

Ph.D.

1 Electrical and Computer Engineering

119

2 Civil Engineering

1001

3 Chemical and Bioengineering

75

4 Mechanical Engineering

112

13

1307

32

TOTAL

- 56 -

Reform Indicators
 Annual increase of 15% for M.Sc. students admissions
 Annual increase of 30% for PhD. Students admissions
2013

2014

2015

2016

Number of M.Sc. students, projected

1504

1730

1990

2290

Number of PhD. Students, projected

42

55

72

94

WP 1.6 Establishing Standards and Quality Assurance Office


Objective
 To ensure that the engineering and technology education complies with
the international standard and accreditation
 To ensure that the engineering and technology education system is designed with regular updates to address national priorities.
Current Status
 The Standards and Quality office is located in the AAU central office.
 The office is in charge of the whole university and cannot give particular
attention to the engineering and technology education.
Reform Indicators
 End of 2012, AAiT shall establish a Standards and Quality Assurance Office of its own
 The Standards and Quality Office shall ensure the Standards and Quality
of all academic and research programs that run in the AAiT according to
international and/or national standards.

- 57 -

WP 1.7 Curricula Revision


Objective
As a higher institution of learning, continuing revision of existing programs
with minor and major changes, preparation of new programs in line with the
nations need of educated engineers, and expansion of existing programs in
breadth and level (say expansion to M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs of existing
B.Sc. programs, etc) are part of routine task of AAiT. However, due to the current huge demand to tune existing programs and establishing of new programs to produce engineers that are needed in the countrys Growth and
Transformation Program (GTP), AAiT gives earnest attention to make sure
that all the curricula are target-oriented and market-oriented as well.

Current Status
The currently running program was totally revised and updated in 2006/2007
by experts from Germany and ECBP and only the second batch that have
passed through these curricula are yet to be graduated coming July 2012. Under normal condition, overall revision of curricula is done when a number of
batches educated by the curricula graduate and the industry gives its feedback on the effect of the curricula on the graduates, after well spotted deficiencies of the curricula is documented.

However, as the case may be, de-

partments make revisions by regularly assessing their curricula at any time


during any semester.

Additionally, based on the need from the industry, new programs are prepared and at the beginning of any given semester. Some examples of such
new programs prepared and launched during the 2011/2012 academic year
are: Biomedical Engineering (B.Sc. and M.Sc.), Railway Engineering (M.Sc.),
IT (B.Sc.), Software Engineering (B.Sc.), River Basin Management (M.Sc.) curriculum approved, and Sugar Technology (Curriculum under preparation).
Altogether, AAiT has been taking big efforts in curricula development in the
last years.
- 58 -

Reform Indicators:
 Keep up the current good practice
 Annually, starting August 2012, prepare Institute wide workshops at each
department/school to discuss with all staff members on possible revisions/additions of curricula.
 Enrich the existing curricula on this annual workshop.

WP 2 Reform on Staff Capacity Development


WP 2.1 Increase proportion of PhD holders
Objective
To become an internationally competitive research institute, AAiT has to meet
international standards in the staff qualification. Hence the institute aims at
doubling the proportion of PhD degree holders in the teaching staff.
Additionally, the number of internal PhD students doing their research projects
at AAiT has to be considerably increased.

Current Status
The following figure indicates the qualifications of the existing academic staffs in
the AAiT
In number
Chemical

Civil

Electrical & Mechanical


Computer

TOTAL

B.Sc. holders

28

38

17

22

105

M.Sc. holders

33

22

21

35

111

PhD. holders

23

12

50

- 59 -

In Percentage (per each department/school)


Chemical

Civil

Electrical & Mechanical


Computer

TOTAL

B.Sc. holders

42%

46%

34%

33%

39%

M.Sc. holders

49%

26%

42%

53%

42%

PhD. holders

9%

28%

24%

14%

19%

Reform Indicators
 From 2013, every year two Ethiopian PhD-holders per school return to AAiT
from abroad.
 By 2015, the goal of the staff composition of the AAiT shall be as follows:
B.Sc. holders

20%

M.Sc. holders

50%

PhD. Holders

30%

 2015, the percentage of B.Sc. holders in each department/school shall not exceed 20% of the total staffs
 2015, the percentage of M.Sc. holders in each department/school shall be
minimum 50% of the total staffs
 2015, the percentage of PhD. Holders in each department/school shall be
minimum 30% of the total staffs
 2020, the percentage of PhD. Holders in each department/school shall be
minimum 40% of the total staffs.
WP 2.2 Enrolling in local PhD programs
Objective
The internal PhD programs of AAiT need to be enhanced. Many Graduate
Programs in the AAiT have introduced PhD programs, but the AAiT staffs
generally do not show a strong interest in joining them. Most of the young staffs
are desirous of going abroad for PhD for different reasons. Among those who do
their PhDs abroad, however, only a very small number would rejoin the AAiT
after having completed their PhD, most of them do not return to the country. It is
- 60 -

therefore imperative that AAiT staffs would be encouraged to be enrolled in the


local PhD programs.

Current Status
 As shown in WP-1.5 and WP-2.1, the number of PhD students in the different PhD programs of AAiT is considerably low and also the proportion
of staffs with PhD holders in AAiT is below 20%.
 Additional incentives have recently (March 2012) been introduced by the
Ministry of Education (MoE) to encourage those joining the local PhD
programs
Reform Indicators

By 2013, each MSc holder at AAiT will be offered the opportunity to


join a local PhD program.

By 2013, each internal PhD student will have the opportunity to do a


part of his research in collaboration with an international university.

WP 3 Reform on Research and Industry Linkage


WP 3.1 Establishing Research Laboratories in Core Competence Areas
Objective
These are laboratories in the different core competence areas in areas where the
current AAiT departments have excellent expertise, and which are very
important for the country and the world

The following core competence laboratories (CCLs) are established:


First Priority:
 CCL- Civil Infrastructure
 CCL- Water and Environment
 CCL- Energy Technology
 CCL- Food Technology
- 61 -

Second Priority:
 CCL- IT Convergence
 CCL- Mechanics and Design
CCL- Civil Infrastructure
The Ethiopian government is investing massively on the construction of
infrastructures including city development, bridges and highways, railway
systems, etc. This area, therefore, requires special attention in the research plan of
the AAiT.

The Civil infrastructure competence laboratory will be having

design, modelling, simulation and/or testing units for bridges, high ways, city
infrastructure integration units (Roads, Water and sewerage, Telecom, Power),
railway systems, massive structures, construction materials, etc.

CCL- Water and Environment


Sustainability is always related to Water and Environment, directly and
indirectly. The AAiT therefore strives to be a leading institution of the country
whereby water and environment related researches are intensively conducted
and policy makers get technical information and advice. This competence
laboratory shall have research unit for water and research unit for environment.
Integration and dependence of the two separate units are also to be researched on
from a national and international perspective and to keep the ecosystem in
balance.

CCL- Energy Technology


Energy is one of the critical disciplines where major researches are being done
worldwide. AAiT has to also align itself in this direction of highly important
field. More than 80% of the Ethiopian population lives in rural areas where wood
fuel is still the major source of energy, thereby contributing for the rapid
deforestation in the country. AAiT, therefore, is bound to conduct basic and
applied researches in shaping the energy related policies and technologies of the
nation. The Energy Core Laboratory of AAiT shall have the technical expertise
and equipment facilities to conduct Ethiopian-specific energy requirements.
- 62 -

CCL- Food Technology


Ethiopia is one of the many developing countries where research and advances in
technology are yet to put their marks in ensuring food security. Nutritional
aspect of the food consumed, food processing, food packaging, and others are the
main areas of researches to be conducted by the Food Technology competence
laboratory. This laboratory shall play an important role in setting food standards,
testing and certification as well.

CCL- IT Convergence
The IT convergence core competence laboratory shall conduct researches,
designs, models, simulates and prototypes both hardware and software products
for IT applications. This laboratory shall focus on IT and electronics products that
have high consumption rates inside and outside the country and those that are to
be used in applications solving critical local problems. This laboratory is also
expected to open a new knowledge and skill for the country in embedded
systems and PCB based technology manufacturing and mass productions.

CCL- Mechanics and Design


The Mechanics and Design core competence laboratory shall address the local
needs in designing, simulating, modelling and manufacturing mechanical
systems, products and parts. It shall also deal with industrial systems and
products to fill the local gaps. Product designs, ergonomics, aesthetics, stability
and productivity shall be the primary focus of this laboratory.

Current Status
 The current Energy Centre focuses on postgraduate programs and industry consultancy.
 Isolated level research work is being conducted by M.Sc. students in the
different teaching laboratories.

- 63 -

 Several laboratories under the departments/schools give consultancy and


testing services for the local industry; some laboratories are doing basic
research tasks.
Reform Indicators
 By September 2012, all schools prepare plans and proposals for the relevant core competence areas. Subject to the final assessment, AAiT plans
the following core competence laboratories (CCLs) as first priority:
o CCL- Civil Infrastructure
o CCL- Water and Environment
o CCL- Energy Technology
o CCL- Food Technology
and the following CCLs as the second priority:
o CCL- IT Convergence
o CCL- Mechanics and Design
 By the end of 2012, AAiT defines the budget needs for the Core Competence Labs and agrees with the government on priority areas, a finance
scheme and on a timeline for implementation.
 2013, the construction of the first CCLs starts.
 2014/15, the construction of the first CCLs shall be completed, equipment
shall be fully installed and the laboratories shall start operation.
 2014, the construction of further CCLs starts.
 2015/16, the construction of the second group of CCLs shall be completed, equipment shall be fully installed and the laboratories shall start
operation
 2016, all CCLs in the core competence areas conduct research and deliver
services that are aimed at solving country and global issues.

- 64 -

WP 3.2 Research
Objective
AAiT strives to be the leading research institute of engineering and technology of
the country. This requires conductive research facilities, appropriate research
infrastructure and research policies. Additionally, research topics in AAiT should
be aimed at solving national priority issues in the different engineering fields.

Current Status
Each Department or Chair does very scattered and uncoordinated researches that
are mainly oriented towards publications for their academic promotions. No
major attentions are being given to researches that contribute to addressing local
or national priority issues.

Reform Indicators
 Annually every September, starting Sept. 2012, each Chair prepares a
minimum of two research proposals aiming at solving crucial national
problems.
 The AAiT provides funding related to relevant research proposals from
Chairs after due revisions and a final approval
 Each research proposal from the Chairs shall have clear deliverables and
life spans. Researches that have more than one year life span, shall be divided in phases of one year each, with clear deliverables for each phase.
 Each Chair shall produce clear deliverable at the end of each phase of the
research.

- 65 -

WP 3.3 Publications
Objective
 To improve the number of publications from AAiT
 To improve the output from each Chair/Researcher

Current Status
 On the average ten (10) publications from AAiT on international conferences/Journals
 The majority of the publications, however, are by PhD students and extracts from M.Sc. theses by some professors.
 In January 2012, the AAiT council has decided to submit the following incentive scheme to the Supervisory Board for final approval:
o a bonus of two-month salary is paid for a peer reviewed publication
in an internationally recognized journal
o a bonus of one-month salary is paid for a peer reviewed contribution to an internationally recognized conference
Reform Indicators
 Chairs shall be fully empowered to conduct researches that have relevance
to local and national problems either within the chair group or in collaboration with international partners.
 Starting September 2012, within one year period, each Chair publishes at
least two (2) research papers on internationally recognized Journals/Conferences.
 Starting September 2012, within a one year period, academic staffs with a
rank of Assistant Professor and above should publish at least one (1) paper
on internationally recognized Journal/Conference. This can be counted
separately or as part of the publications from the Chairs, as the case may
be.
 The AAiT provides funding related to all publications and/or international
travels for presentation of publications in the conferences.
- 66 -

WP 3.4 Industrial Linkage, Technology Transfer and Public Relations


Objective
The researches by the staffs and students in AAiT are aimed at addressing local
and national problems. The result and outcomes of such researches, therefore,
need to be converted to products and services. This requires functional units in
AAiT that promote these research outputs and link the research outcomes to
industries or ventures. It is also crucial that this functional unit of the AAiT
accesses the needs and challenges in the industry/users and converts those
needs and challenges into research plan and connect to a relevant Chair of the
AAiT. The Industrial Linkage, Technology Transfer (TT) and Public Relations
(PR) office shall deliver such services between the AAiT and the industry.
Additionally, creation of awareness to the public about the AAiT, its different
program units, its research activities, the staff profiles, etc shall be done by this
unit through publications, brochures and flyers.

Current Status
 Office of University Industry Linkage (UiL) exists, but its main task is to
find placement in the industry for students during their internship semester
 Technology Transfer Office has been established but needs to be strengthened
Reform Indicators
 By September 2012, a central office for industrial Linkage, technology
Transfer and Public Relations shall be established under the Director for
Research and Technology Transfer.
 For each major department/School of the AAiT, these shall be one expert in
the office taking care of issues of that particular department/school.
 Promote the researches that are conducted in the AAiT and look for opportunities of linking the research outcome to an industry.
 Produce brochures, booklets, flyers, etc, regularly (annually or biannually).
- 67 -

 Secure funds for researches and development of products.


 Identifying industrial problems and channel them to the research units of
AAiT.
 Facilitate commercial-level production of the research outputs of AAiT, if
applicable.
 Identifies the knowledge gaps in the six core competence areas (Civil infrastructure, Energy Technology, Water and Environment, Food Technology,
IT Convergence, and Mechanics and Design).
 Researches for appropriate technologies, evaluates and assesses their direct
applicability to local needs in the six core competence areas.
 Facilitates the transfer of know-how of the technologies in the six core
competence laboratories to the AAiT relevant community (Chairs).
WP 3.5 AAiT Industry Advisory Committee
Objective
The AAiT will establish a high ranking Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) that
will advise AAiT on the needs and the expectation of the industry. The ICA will
e.g. identify the knowledge gap of the engineering graduates from higher
institutes like AAiT and advice on the development of practice oriented
curricula.

Current Status
 Some departments have attempted to establish industry advisory committee for each department, but not fully successful.
Reform Indicators
 September 2012, AAiT establishes AAiT Industry Advisory Committee
from the major industries that employ AAiT or other engineering graduates.
 The IAC advises the AAiT management on the effectiveness (or lack of
knowledge) of graduates from AAiT and other engineering institutes, on

- 68 -

required research demands, on technology transfer, and on many aspects


as seen from the industry that institutes such as AAiT would address.
 The AAiT Industry Advisory Committee advises the AAiT on effectiveness
of current curricula in delivering the need of the industry, on new curricula
and on students internship practices
 Starting September 2012, the AAiT Industry Advisory Board convenes once
ever semester.

WP 3.6 Establishing of Incubation Center (Entrepreneurship)


Objective
AAiT graduates that want to create their own job support not only themselves,
but also the country at large. There are many graduates who would like to land
on establishing their own small business right from the day of their graduation
and practically apply the knowledge they got in the university. These graduates,
however, are not always successful in implementing their visions due to lack of
financial and advisory shortages.
AAiT, therefore, has to create a flexible environment whereby by such graduates
of its own would incubate their business idea.

Current Status
 AAiT has helped one student group in establishing their business company
in the premises of AAiT during the 2011/2012 academic year.
Reform Indicators
 2012/13, AAiT prepares proposal, rules and regulations to establish and
run an incubation centre in the existing AAiT structure and premises
 2013/2014, AAiT establishes an Incubation Centre where AAiT graduates
planning to establish their own company get support and facility
 2013/14, annually, AAiT hosts up to five (5) new companies established by
its graduates.

- 69 -

WP 4 Reform on International Cooperation


WP 4.1Enhance University co-operations
Objective
With the large number of graduate students in the AAiT, thesis advising and
conducting research by PhD students has become a huge burden on the AAiT.
This requires outside help for a continued good quality graduate program and a
research that requires outside expertises assistance. There are existing cooperations between the departments/schools of AAiT and other universities
outside Ethiopia. These existing co-operations need to be maintained, improved
and also new co-operations need to be established.

Current Status
 Each department/school has at least three (3) co-operations with different
universities outside Ethiopia.

Reform Indicators
 By 2013, each department/school establishes co-operations with at least
one university outside Ethiopia which provides international support for
each specialization or graduate degree programs (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) the department/school offers.
 In doing so better attention shall be given to new programs (such as Railway Engineering, Biomedical Engineering) and in areas where Chairs conduct researches.
 By 2014, each PhD student in AAiT has been attached to a co-advising professor in an institution that has a standing cooperation with the AAiT.
 Through these international collaborations, joint researches shall be proposed and conducted.

- 70 -

WP 4.2 Establish new Industry Co-operations


Objective
To achieve its mission and to become an internationally renowned research
institute as well as a world-standard technology hub for the country, it is
essential that AAiT establishes co-operations not only with overseas universities
but also with international companies. International companies that have interest
in the Ethiopian market are likely to initiate and/or engaged in researches and
services of the AAiT.

Current Status
Existing international co-operations in AAiT are the following:
 Cisco Academy
 Oracle Academy
Reform Indicators
 By 2013, AAiT will have entered into four (4) co-operations with international companies on their research, on product development and on services
 By 2014, AAiT establishes six (6) additional international co-operations
with overseas companies in the six core competence areas in research,
product development and services.
WP 5 Reform on Governance and Institutional Management
WP 5.1 Securing the autonomous status of AAiT
Objective
While being legally a part of AAU, AAiT can act autonomously in academic,
financial and administrative matters.

Current Status
The University Board approved the autonomy directive. Nevertheless, the
autonomous status needs to be further clarified and implemented.
- 71 -

Reform Indicators

 By October 2012, the new academic structure is approved by the Supervisory Board and accepted by AAU
 By the end of 2012, the internal legislation of AAiT is finalized and approved by the Supervisory Board.
 By January 2013, AAiT has reached financial autonomy and can negotiate
its budget directly with MoFED.

WP 5.2 Establishing an efficient academic structure


Objective
AAiT will be a well managed and efficient Higher Education Institute which
meets international standards.

Current Status
The current department-based structure has difficulties to cope with the
increasing number of students and with flexible new programs offering. The
academic staffs feel overburdened with administrative tasks. The students
complain about a lack of support.

Reform indicators
 By 2013, the Schools are fully functional and have their own lean academic
management.
 By 2013, rules and regulations for the study programs (grades, dismissals,
examining) have been revised so that the academic bodies can focus on
strategic issues instead of case by case decisions
 By 2013, students feel well advised and supported by the schools.

- 72 -

WP 5.3 Setting up efficient administrative and support units


Objective
AAiT will be a well managed and efficient Higher Education Institute which
meets international standards.
Current Status
AAiT has set up its own administration and support units. A new structure has
been developed and approved. Human resource management, procurement,
budget planning and control, facility management, student administration, ICT
support are fully handled on the level of the institute. A new decentralized
system for using the internal revenue has been introduced. Class room
management is handled centrally. The use of software to support the
administrative processes is still limited. Systematic trainings for administrative
staff have been started.

Reform Indicators
 By 2012, a transparent and efficient budget allocation and budget control is
implemented
 By 2013, all administrative units work IT supported.
 By the end of 2012, the procurement processes have been fastened considerably. The approved budget is used efficiently.
 By 2013, all administrative units have improved their business processes
and documented it in handbooks.
 By 2013, systematic staff development and training plans have been developed. Staff assessment has been reformed and performance based remuneration systems introduced.
 By 2013, the internet presentation of AAiT allows external and internal users to find easily up to date information on all activities of the institute.

- 73 -

WP 6 Reform on Infrastructure
WP 6.1 Maintenance of Existing Buildings
Objective
AAiT aims at creating a friendly working environment for staff and students by
maintaining the central AAiT campus and the former building of the School of
Pharmacy. The existing main AAiT building is more than forty (40) years old and
hence the building requires a complete renovation and maintenance. In particular,
the electric system, the sanitary system and the faade of the building require a
thorough and careful maintenance. The Local Area Network (LAN) was installed
before the third wing of the building was constructed. Due to this reason the
computers in the third wing on each floor are connected to a single hub.
Additionally, very recently the buildings of the former Pharmacy School have
been transferred to the AAiT. The different smaller buildings in the former
Pharmacy School are also in bad shape and they require a huge renovation and
maintenance.

Current Status
 The main AAiT building requires full renovation and maintenance. The
sanitation system and the electric systems in particular require immediate
repairs and maintenances.
 The LAN network is not well designed to include the large number of
computers that are currently connected to the network
 The buildings in the former Pharmacy School require complete maintenance.
Reform Indicators
 2012/13, the main AAiT building undergoes complete maintenance on its
electric systems, sanitary systems, faade, LAN network, paintings, etc
 2012/13, the buildings in the former Pharmacy School undergo complete
maintenances

- 74 -

 2012/13, the walls of the teaching rooms in the AAiT campus that were
made of temporary materials shall be removed and re-constructed with
better materials.
 All class rooms of the AAiT shall be maintained and be in good aesthetical
condition.

WP 5.2 New Campus for AAiT (KAIST as a Model)


Objective
AAiT strives to be a world class institute of technology in the coming five years
time. For achieving this goal the adequate infrastructure has to be established.
Current Status
 AAiT faces a very serious lack of space. The first year classes are held almost completely in borrowed class-rooms at the main campus and the
campus at Arat Kilo. Because of organizational problems at these venues,
classes had to be cancelled at the beginning of the semester. A part of the
postgraduate classes is given in rented rooms. New academic staffs are
provided offices in a rented building outside of the AAiT campus which
makes their integration in the departments difficult.
 AAiT has been requesting the AAU administration to convince the Addis
Ababa City Administration for an additional plot of land in the neighbourhood of the existing campus.
 The AAU administration and the Addis Ababa City Administration have
established a task force which looks into this matter and come up with a
recommendation on how to grant the AAiTs request for additional plot of
land in its neighbourhood.
 No official confirmation is available on whether the AAiTs request would
be acknowledged and granted.

- 75 -

Reform Indicators
 By July 2012, the two buildings under construction on the AAiT campus are
completed and handed over to AAiT.
 By September 2012, AAU and MoE provide buildings to AAiT which cover
the most urgent demand of classrooms and offices for the increasing number of staff and students until the new campus has been finalized. The
minimum requirements are:
o 800 m office space for 80 additional academic staffs
o 480 m office space for 60 additional administrative staffs
o 4000m of classrooms and lecture halls for 3.000 students from the
last two years plus the additional intake in the coming three years
 AAiT takes Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
for benchmarking its intended institutional and infrastructural reforms.
 By 2012/13, AAiT acquires 210.000 m of land (see calculation in Annex II)
from the government to construct its future campus taking KAISTs infrastructure as a model, in the neighbourhood of the current AAiT campus.
 Immediately after the decision on the land, AAiT establishes a task force
for the planning of the new campus.
 2013, AAiT secures the required budget from the government for the construction of the future AAiT campus.
 2015, a part of the future AAiT campus shall be completed, and starts operation.
 2016, the future AAiT campus shall be fully completed and the majority of
the teaching and research facilities shall be moved in there.
 The future AAiT campus shall have enough teaching/research infrastructure, adequate undergraduate/postgraduate student dormitories, residential buildings for all qualified academic staffs, separate research centres/laboratories, incubation centres, and recreation facilities.

- 76 -

WP 5.3 Student Facilities


Objective
 To create an environment where students would comfortably rest, refresh,
and get lounge services.
Current Status
 A small staff and student lounge where students get hot and cold drinks at
a reasonable price.
 Potable drinking water needs to be paid for.
Reform Indicators
 2012/13, AAiT shall have outdoor student shades where students could
study, have wireless internet coverage, and eat their lunches, and get potable drinking water.
 By September 2012, a student snack bar will be opened on the former
Pharmacy compound.
 2012/13, AAiT shall have a separate student lounge, where students would
get snacks, refreshments and meals at a price lower than the market price.
WP-5.4. ICT Infrastructure
Objective
In an internet world, ICT is plays a vital role in the improvement of any
institutions. AAiT strives to make use of the full ICT enabling potential in its
reform structure. The education/research system shall be fully assisted by the
available ICT technology. As an advanced institute of Technology, the ICT
facility and service in the AAiT need to be upgraded to the latest standard.
Current Status
 The AAiT has a 20Mbps speed internet connection via a fiber cable connected to the service provider, Ethio-Telecom.
 The central Data Centre is equipped with desktop servers. These are not up
to the standard to provide the required centralized ICT services.
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 Website does not indicate the complete virtual picture of the AAiT.
 Average student/computer ratio of 45 in the computer laboratories.
 Wireless internet covers only in some limited areas of ground floor, first
floor and in the central green area of the AAiT campus.
Reform Indicators
 End of 2012, AAiT has 100Mbps high speed internet connection
 End of 2012 the central Data Centre consists of Firewalls, File Servers,
Deepfreeze Server, Anti-virus Server, Web Server, Mail servers, and all facility that an advanced corporate Server station should have with the required processing, memory, and storage resources.
 Mid 2013, all departments/schools shall have student/computer ratio of
maximum 20 for UG and 5 for PG.
 Mid 2013, wireless internet coverage in all the floors of the main AAiT
buildings, student dormitories and more wireless spots in the AAiT campus.
WP 5.5 Student Dormitories
Objectives
At least half of the AAiT students should be given the opportunity to stay in
dormitories on the campus. Even if students come from Addis Ababa and
surroundings, their living conditions often do not allow them to effectively
study. Female students are often obliged to do household work and there are
serious transport problems for the students in the periphery of the capital.
The dormitories need to offer a simple but clean and safe environment where
students can live and work.
Current Status
 Only students from the regions are entitled to a dormitory place.
 Students from Addis Ababa including the surrounding villages are not allowed to get dormitory services. They are forced to commute which is expensive and very time consuming
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 Even students with serious family or health problems have to be rejected


when they ask for a dormitory space.
 First and second year students from the regions are placed in dormitories
of other campuses (College of Social Science and Natural Science).
 Students that live in other campuses are not able to use the 24-hour of the
AAiT library service. The same is true for students from Addis Ababa.
 Up to twelve (12) students live in a room designed for a maximum of eight
(8) students, which may be dangerous in emergency situations.
Reform Indicators
 By June 2012, the reading room in the dormitory is furnished and offers WLAN access for the students.
 By September 2012, the dormitory under construction is completed and offers space for additional 600 students.
 2012/13, AAiT has secured the plot of land from the Addis Ababa City
Administration and plans the construction of additional student dormitories for 3.000 students.
 2012/13, AAiT secures budget from the government to construct student
dormitories.
 2013/14, construction of the new student dormitories shall be started.
 2014/15, construction of student dormitories shall be completed and starts
service.
 The future student dormitory shall consist of student cafeteria, student
lounge and student business centre.

WP 5.6 Student Cafeteria


Objectives
The AAiT student cafeteria, as all other units of AAiT, was originally intended to
provide services to a much smaller number of students than it currently serves.
Additionally, the cafeteria is run by the main AAU student service office and
neither the AAiT administration nor the AAiT student council does have a legal
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mandate to control the quality of the cafeterias service. Due to this, the students
rank the services they get from the cafeteria as not satisfying. Additionally, the
bakery that had been giving service to the student cafeteria has been out of
operation for a long period now.

Current Status
 Not adequate for the large number of students in the AAiT
 Stoves in the cafeteria are small in size and requires long hours to prepare
foods for all the students
 The AAU main student service office runs the cafeteria, and hence neither
the AAiT administration nor the AAiT student council control the quality
of the services
 The Bakery is not functional
 Eight (8) Birr per student per day budget is allocated by the government.
 Students pay back the cost of the service they get from the cafeteria after
their graduation through a government repayment scheme called Cost
Sharing
Reform Indicators
 2012, AAiT will conclude an agreement with the central university on the
future running of the student cafeteria. It will be tried to re-open the bakery
on the campus.
 2012, AAiT, together with the AAiT student council, constantly monitors
the quality of the services of the cafeteria.
 Together with the future student dormitory (WP-5.5), the AAiT ensures
that an appropriate sized facility for student cafeteria be constructed in line
with the number of AAiT students (current and future)
 AAiT seeks advice and approval from the AAU central office on the possibility of increasing the current eight (8) Birr per student per day students
daily meal allocate budget to at least fifteen (15) birr per student per day.
Due to the Cost Sharing scheme of the government, increasing the daily
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student meal budget does not impose huge burden on the government as
long as the students are willing to pay back.
 With the increased per student per day meal budget, AAiT shall be in a
condition of providing much better cafeteria services to the students.
WP 5.7 Staff Facilities
Objective
Providing some facility to the staffs of the AAiT would hugely support the
working environment of the AAiT. Many of the staffs stay a whole day in
campus and hence they have to spend a lot of money on lunch, and on tea and
coffee breaks. Added on top of the expensive living cost in Addis Ababa, this
creates a big financial burden to the AAiT staffs. Additionally, due to this same
problem, the staffs who have classes in the morning, for example, do not want to
stay in campus and do some researches, rather they go and stay at home to avoid
lunch and coffee break expenses. This is partly one factor why staffs avoid
staying around campus a whole day long.

Current Status

The AAiT staff and student lounge offers only beverages and pastries.

The AAU staff cafeteria provides inexpensive meal services but is not very
inviting.

Reform Indicators

By September 2012, the AAiT staff and student lounge starts offering a
small range of simple meals.

By the end of 2012, the former TV room will be re-furnished as a staff cafe
with table service.

With future AAiT campus (WP-5.2) staff facilities such as staff lounge shall
be constructed where staffs would get meal services at a reasonable price.

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WP 5.8 Housing: Retention of existing, and attraction of new staffs


Objective
Providing housing facility to the academic staffs of the AAiT is very crucial to
ensure the sustainability of all academic staffs, to encourage those that go abroad
for Graduate studies to come back and serve, to attract those over sea scientists of
Ethiopian origin to return and serve in the AAiT, and to encourage intelligent
engineering graduates to serve in AAiT instead of working in the industry. To
achieve this goal it is important to construct housing facility together with the
future AAiT campus (WP-5.2).

Current Status

Only a negligible number of academic staff is provided a university


apartment for rent.

Staffs are under heavy living condition due to the very expensive housing
rental expenses in Addis Ababa.

Reform Indicators

2012/13, AAiT acquires 20.000 m of land from the government to construct housing facility for 500 academic staffs together with the future
AAiT campus.

2013, AAiT secures the required budget from the government for the construction of ten G+7 houses or agrees on a special arrangement for construction of the houses.

2015, construction of the AAiT academic staffs shall be completed and


starts operation.

Any eligible academic staff of the AAiT can live in the institutes residential housing.

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Annex I: Organizational Structure of AAiT


A I.1: AAiT Governance Structure

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A I.2: Academic and Research Structure


A I. 2.1 Overview

Figure AI.2: AAiT Academic and Research Structure

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A I. 2.1 Schools

Figure A.I.3: School of Chemical and Bio-Engineering

Figure A.I.4: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering


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Figure A.I.5: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Figure A.I.6: School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

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A I.3 Administrative Structure

Institute
Management

Managing Director
Deputy Managing
Director

Budget, Finance,
Procurement

Internal Audit

General Service
and Property

Human Resource
Facility Mangt

Student Services
Gender Office

Figure A.I.7: AAiT Administrative Structure

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Annex II: Estimated Additional Space Requirements (2014)


Space/ Student
(m2/Full Time
Student)*
A

Utilization
Enrollment

Site Requirements

A.1

Site Area for the Campus

A.2

Area for Staff Housing

B.
B.1

Buildings
General Teaching Area
Class Room
General Class Rooms (50
Students)
Oversize Class Rooms (120
Students)
Lecture Halls (250 Students)

30

7.000

0,72

4.500

0,72

3.500

0,81

1.400

Drawing Studios

1,50

400

Computer Center

1,20

700

Total Space
(For 7,000
Students)
230.000

Total Additional
210. 000 compound space
Accommodation for
500 staffs in 10 G+7
20.000 buildings
Total campus area to
34.834 be built

Total
B.2

Sitting Space (0.80 x


3.240 0.90)
Sitting Space (0.80 x
2.520 0.90)
Sitting Space (0.90 x
1.134 0.90)
Year 1 and Mechani600 cal Dept students
Capacity for 500
840 Students
8.334

Academic Staff Area


Department Office

25

125

Chair's Office

20

40

800

Professor

16

100

1.600

Lecturer

15

140

2.100

Assistants

10

160

1.600
6.225

Total

Note: * Based on Architects' Data by Ernst and Peter Neuferet (2003),


Circulation and common spaces included
- 88 -

Assumptions

B.3 Laboratories and Workshop Area


Chemical and Bioengineering

1,5

200

300

Civil Engineering

1,5

700

1.050

Electrical Engineering and IT

1,5

300

450

Mechanical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

2,5

200

500
300
2.600

Total
B.4 Core Competence Labs
Energy Technology Competence Center
Water and Environment Competence
Center
IT and Electronics Competence Center
Food Technology Competence Center
Machine and Machine Parts Competence Center
Civil Infrastructure Competence
Center

200

200

200
200
200

200
200
200

200

200

200
Total

200
1.200

1,50

1.000
Total

1.500
1.500

Dormitories

3,945

3.000

11.835

Students Canteen with dining

0,80

750

600

Student Services (Clinic, etc)

2,00

70
Total

140
12.575

8,00

300
Total

2.400
2.400

B.4 Reading Library


UG library

Capacity for 1,000


Students

B.5 Student Service Area


Capacity for 3,000
Students
Capacity for 3,000
Students
Capacity for 3,000
Students

B.6 Administration Staff Area


Administration Staff Office

Site Facilities
Parking

2.250
7,5

300
-

Staff Housing
Apartments for 500 staff families (average 80 m)
500

- 89 -

80

2.250
40.000
40.000

300 Cars

In ten G+7
buildings on campus

Annex III: KAIST Site Plan as a Model

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Figure AIII.1: Site Plan of KAIST as a Model

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