South East Technological University (SETU) recently hosted partners from Ireland and Ethiopia as part of the Building Resilience Through Education (BRTE) programme.
Visitors included Professor Guchie Gulie, President of Wolaita Sodo University (WSU); Professor Pat Gibbons, Director of the UCD Centre for Humanitarian Action; Mr Petros Woldemariam, Chief Administrator in Wolaita; and Mr Assefa Nana, CEO of the Wolaita Development Association (WODA).
Driving change
Launched in 2017, with SETU joining in 2018, BRTE brings academic institutions and development agencies together to support sustainable, community-led transformation in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WSU, based in Ethiopia’s Wolaita zone, a region of more than six million people, is driving change through education, building regional capacity and radically transforming livelihoods of the regional population, working with partners including SETU, UCD, the University of Bergamo, Concern Worldwide and KPMG.
Infrastructure
A core focus for SETU has been supporting the development of critical infrastructure, research capacity and resilience education at WSU with a particular focus on ICT. Mr Colm O’Connor and his team have exchanged experience and technical expertise to helped build capacity on the ground.
The next phase, BRTE2C, will deepen this international collaboration, using interdisciplinary research and education to strengthen societal resilience leading to the socio-economic transformation of communities affected by recurrent disasters and climate change.
During the visit, Mr Brian Ogilvie presented SETU’s rural entrepreneurship model, including four new rural innovation hubs now supporting local micro-enterprises.
International collaboration
Dr Sheila Long, Southern and East Africa engagement lead at SETU, said: ‘Through BRTE2C partners will continue to develop, strengthen and build resilience through education while expanding to test the scalability and transferability of its model, adapted to other regions. This expansion supports the consortium's goal of becoming a key hub for international collaboration, advancing evidence-based resilience initiatives, and contributing to the achievement of the UN SDGs.’
Transformative impact
Dr David Ryan, Associate Vice President for Sustainability at SETU, added: ‘Our involvement in the BRTE programme to date has been a remarkable experience and one which is co-creating real transformative impact. The involvement of colleagues from across SETU including ITS, research, innovation and engagement, academic faculties, teaching and learning, library services, International, estates and registry with peers in Ethiopia and indeed here in Ireland, has enriched the experience for all participants.’
This collaboration reflects SETU’s commitment to international partnership and research that delivers meaningful, real-world impact.