Haramaya University College of Social Sciences & Humanities (CSSH) conducted in-house curriculum review workshop on January 17, 2022 at Resource Center to launch a PhD Programs in Oromo Studies and in Language Education and Policy Studies.

In his welcoming speech, Dr. Adinew Tadesse, the Dean of the College, said that the workshop was organized to engage experts in the evaluation of two new PhD Programs planned to be launched by the next academic year. The proposed programs are  PhD in Oromo Studies having three interrelating streams (Language Policy and Planning, Wisdom Literature and Indigenous Pedagogy) proposed by the Department of Afaan Oromo, Literature and Communication, and PhD in Language Education Policy Studies proposed by School of Foreign Languages & Journalism.

Dr. Adinew, further, stated that in line with the current categorization of HrU among the research and PG programs offering universities in Ethiopia, the College is doing its level best to increase and diversify its postgraduate programs.

He said, along with these programs, the college has a plan to launch additional programs such as PhD program in Sociology, MA program in Journalism and Communication, and MSc program in GIS (Geo-Information Science).

Professor Mengistu Urge, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, opened the workshop and expressed his appreciation for the college’s initiative to increase and diversify its postgraduate programs by launching additional demand-driven programs. He noted that launching such unique PhD programs in Oromo Studies and Language Education Policy Studies advances the mission and vision of the university and serves as important additions to existing pool of the postgraduate programs of the University.

Professor Mengistu noted that, as all the programs in the University should be of high quality and demand driven, the relevance, quality, and implementation of the proposed PhD programs should be ascertained as required.

In his closing remarks, Professor Jeylan Woliye, the Vice President for Administration and Student Affairs, appreciated the CSSH, curriculum initiators, designers and facilitators for organizing such a productive and educative academic platform. He noted that as a research and postgraduate program University, HrU has already identified various areas of excellence and advancement with Social Sciences and Humanities among the top priority areas. Thus, running highly advanced academic programmes and conducting cutting-edge research and transformative community engagements in the areas of social sciences and communities are some of the vital activities that would advance the place and contributions of the college within the university and beyond.

Professor Jeylan expressed that curriculum development is an evolving process which is always open to refinement and transformation. Thus, he recommended to the curriculum designers to use the comments they received, and the concerns which the reviewers as well as participants expressed during the review, and prepare thoroughly revised and stronger curriculum for each program ready for the national review workshop.