Haramaya University Delegation Strengthens Collaboration During High‑Level Visit to FAO Headquarters
Rome, Italy | March 2–3, 2026: A delegation from Haramaya University (HU), Ethiopia, completed a fruitful two‑day official visit to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Headquarters in Rome. The mission was a follow‑up to the joint HU–FAO Ethiopia seminar held in July 2025 at the premises of Haramaya University, and FAO Ethiopia has been aware and supportive of this visit. The HU team was led by Dr. Jemal Y. Hassen, President of Haramaya University, and included Dr. Muluken G. Wordofa from the School of Rural Development and Agricultural Innovation.
The first day began with a joint working session between the FAO eLearning Academy and HU representatives. Discussions focused on strengthening HU’s involvement in FAO’s global learning initiatives, expanding digital learning solutions, and identifying opportunities for customized capacity‑building programs tailored to the Ethiopian context. Strong emphasis was placed on extension and advisory services, including digital extension, capacity development for extension professionals, and the professionalization of Ethiopia’s extension system. The discussion resulted in a mutual agreement to include HU in the list of official partners of the FAO eLearning Academy.
A virtual session in the afternoon, involving Dr. Milkyas H. Tesfaye and his colleagues from HU, continued this conversation, highlighting new technologies and models for delivering scalable online learning in agriculture and rural development. Later in the day, the HU team met with FAO’s Partnerships Division to review ongoing collaboration frameworks and identify priority areas for joint action, including joint seminars, capacity‑development initiatives, and the preparation of project proposals. Following this, a dedicated session on internships and staff exchanges explored pathways for student mobility, professional training, and academic exchanges.
The second day centered on technical discussions with several FAO units. The meeting with Research, Biotechnology and Extension Unit focused on strengthening HU’s research and extension systems, improving integration of climate‑smart innovations, and expanding advisory services that directly benefit smallholder farmers.
The engagement with the Digital Agriculture Team explored FAO’s digital agriculture platforms and discussed opportunities to pilot digital advisory tools and data‑driven solutions in Ethiopia, reinforcing HU’s growing investment in digital infrastructure and approaches.
The strategic dialogue with the Director of the Office of Innovation (OIN) underlined the importance of innovation ecosystems, partnerships, and capacity development to support HU’s institutional transformation. The day concluded with a meeting with FAO’s Agroecology Team to discuss collaborative research and extension opportunities on agroecological transitions, sustainable food systems, and farmer‑centered development approaches.
Throughout the two‑day visit, both FAO and HU reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing food security, agricultural extension and innovation, and sustainable rural development. The visit demonstrated the growing importance of university–UN agency partnerships in addressing global challenges through research and extension, innovation, and knowledge exchange.
A series of follow‑up actions and joint programs are now under consideration as both institutions move toward a more structured and impactful partnership. As part of the next steps, the HU delegation will debrief FAO Ethiopia to align on action areas, including joint seminars, extension capacity‑development initiatives, and joint project proposal development. HU will also send a technical team, led by its ICT Director, to FAO Headquarters in May 2026 to further strengthen and operationalize the joint initiatives.
Tags: Academic Partnerships, Agricultural Development, Ethiopia education, FAO Headquarters, food and agriculture organization, global cooperation, Haramaya University, higher education, International Collaboration, university delegation
