Haramaya University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences conducted Curriculum Review workshop to launch Sugarcane Agronomy MSc Program.

During the opening of the workshop Dean of College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Dr. Zelalem Bekeko expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the committee members who are working on the development of the curriculum through investing their precious time. He also thanked the external reviewers for their instrumental comments they made to enrich the curriculum.
In his speech, the country has not exploited the golden opportunity to produce sugarcane on larger scale and presently grow sugarcane only on 19000 hectares of land contributing merely 0.1% to total world’s sugarcane production.
It is the peak time to promote sugarcane cultivation at a larger scale in the country to harness such a potential production environment for meeting sugar demand in the country and also for export.

Sustaining the production and productivity at high level and also to tackle future problems a highly skilled human resource is needed for research, development and extension activities.
Haramaya University play vital role in development of such a highly skilled man power to meet this needed demand. Keeping this in view, the school of plant sciences of HU is proposing a tailor-made Master degree program specializing in sugarcane agronomy aiming to train the students with the latest and advanced knowledge generated in the field of sugarcane production, protection and crop improvement.

Director for Postgraduate Programs Directorate, Dr. Feyera Dinsa said curriculum review process will generate an action plan for improving the program, and the impact of the review will be determined by evidence of implementation success.
He added that the implementation of this curriculum is in the safest hands of experienced professionals in the school and in the college as well as those professionals in the Sugar Corporation.
The collaboration started between HU and the Sugar Corporation becomes exemplary for other universities and industries, as it is a good beginning for the strengthening of University-Industry Linkages.

The program will be jointly run by Haramaya University and Ethiopian Sugar Corporation.