The College of Natural and Computation Sciences held a National Curriculum Review Workshop on June 17, 2017. The day long workshop reviewed two PhD and one MSc curricula in Chemistry (Materials Chemistry) and Physics (Environmental Physics and Renewable Energy Physics). The workshop was opened by the guest of honor, Dr. Belaineh Legesse, Vice President for Administration and Student Affairs of Haramaya University (HU). His main remarks were the yet to be introduce curricula must be measured not by the number of students they are going to graduate, rather by the impact they will make on the existing realities of the nation and reviewers and other participants give more focus on providing developers constructive criticisms they require to improving the quality and content of the curricula.
Dr. Getachew Abebe, Dean of the College said, “There were necessary steps the curricula have gone through before they were ready for National Review Workshop. The curricula are demand driven which are based on the positive need assessment results justifying the opening of the programs.” He also added in house review workshop was also held and experts’ comments were inculcated to further improve the curricula.
The review workshop was run in two sessions. The morning session was dedicated for the presentation and review of the PhD program in Physics (Environmental Physics and Renewable Energy Physics) which the Department of Physics is planning to open in the coming academic year. The review was rigorously undertaken inviting five prominent experts from Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and Haramaya universities. The curriculum were also assessed from the pedagogical points of view by experts for the College of Education and behavioral Sciences of HU.
The other curricula, PhD and MSc in Materials Chemistry were reviewed during the afternoon session where a number of experts in the area were in attendance. Reviewers from Addis Ababa, ASTU (Addis Ababa and Adama) and Haramaya universities actively contributed for the betterment of the document. Likewise the pedagogical suitability of the curricula was also assessed by the experts.
Finally, closing remark and compliments to the organizers and reviewers were delivered by Dr. Yifashewa Seyoum, Director for Academic Programs and delegate of Vice-president for Academic Affairs. The draft curricula are expected to be presented to the University Senate and MoE, and if approved, the programs will be launched soon.
