Keen to expand higher-education provision in the country, the Ethiopian government established Werabe University in 2018. The university’s 137-hectare campus is located in the town of Werabe, 172km South West of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
Though it began with only a few thousand students, Werabe ultimately hopes to educate 10,000 students. Its degree programmes are provided by nine faculties, including the college of agricultural and natural resource, the college of humanities, the school of education and behavioural science and the institute of technology.
The school of health and medical sciences is a stakeholder in nearby Werabe hospital, and is working towards bringing health tourists to the town.
The university provides training for a range of organisations in the region. For example, a course on “Women leadership for national development” was delivered to more than 40 female leaders.
Students also participate in a range of community-outreach projects, including harvesting crops, assisting people displaced by war, providing educational materials for orphans and impoverished children and assisting victims of flooding.