Academic Assessment and Quality Assurance Directorate in collaboration with Postgraduate Program Directorate conducted one-day training program for academic staff members who are involving in supervision of postgraduate research in Haramaya University. on Friday, May 6, 2016 at Resource Center, Main Campus.
According to Dr. Sissay Menkir, Associate Professor and Director of Academic Assessmentand Quality Assurance, the training is intended to enhance the supervisory knowledge, skills and competences of the postgraduate supervisors and to improve the quality and efficiency of supervision of postgraduate researches in the University.
Dr. Belaineh Legesse, Vice-President for Administration and Students Affairs, on his opening speech, said supervision of postgraduate students is part of the University’s core mandate as the research work performed by postgraduate students forms a vital part of our research effort. It is also true that good supervisory practices help students fulfill their potential and contribute to the University’s research profile.
He also urged that postgraduate supervision is an intellectual relationship that exists between the supervisor(s) and a student enrolled in the postgraduate program. It is a specialized form of teaching that fosters research and academic endeavor of all parties involved in the supervision process. The supervision process commences from research topic selection and continues to the completion with involvement of the student, supervisor(s), and various organs of the University, stakeholders and collaborators at different stages.
Dr. Yibekal Alemayehu, the delegate of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, on his parts made a key note speech and stated that, because supervision of postgraduate students is corner stone, the university must have work a lot.
In the University postgraduate education was first started in 1979 with four masters programs, all were in agriculture specialty. Since then, the postgraduate programs have been expanding both in number of programs and postgraduate students. Currently, there are more than 62 Master’s and 15 PhD programs. In all these programs students are required to do research as a partial fulfillment for completing their studies
During the occasion, main issues were developed by senior staff members and questions were discussed on Quality Supervision of Postgraduate Research: Concepts, Principles, Processes, and Relationship of Supervisor and Supervisees, Duties and responsibilities of supervisors and supervise undertaking postgraduate research; Creating a vibrant research culture; and Research ethics and intellectual property rights
In his closing speech, Professor Kebede W/Tsadik, Vice President for Community and Enterprise Development, said initiating such kind of training shows the intelligent and objective concern of the University. He also stated that organizing and executing a high level knowledge and experience sharing workshop on quality supervision of postgraduate researches will undoubtedly enhance supervisory capacity, and it would also help to standardize and improve the quality of research supervision in all postgraduate programs of the University.