Achievements
2018/2019 Budget Year Achievements
- PhD Education
1.1 Enrolment of 4 PhD Candidates for 2018/19
Enrollment of 4 PhD candidates through activities listed in the proposal was the main plan of the project for this 2018/19 academic year. Accordingly, 4 PhD candidates have been enrolled through the following process as stipulated in the project section 2.1 which states “An announcement to recruit candidates to the program will be publicized before academic year 2018/19. It has been agreed that student’s supervisors (both Ethiopian and Swedish) shall interview candidates and select best ones based on their academic merits and preparedness and motivation for fulfillment of research task.”
a. Identification of the first four projects for the year
Based on the priority of the country and the involved professors’ expertise, the following projects were selected from the list of projects in the proposal, through consultation amongst the involved professors as stated in the project agreement.
Project No. 1: Balancing and grid integration of wind power
Supervisors: Dr Mengesha Mamo and Professor Lennart Söder
Project No. 2: Long-term strategic electricity and energy systems planning and modelling
Supervisors: Dr. Getachew Bekele and Professor Erik Ahlgren
Project No. 3: Hydro Power Operation and Planning
Supervisors: Dr. Getachew Bekele and Professor Mikael Amelin
Project No. 4: Mapping of natural and industrial pollution severity at locations of planned transmission corridors
Supervisors: Dr. Mengesha Mamo and Professor Stanislaw Gubanski
b. Announcement for potential Candidates
According to the project, announcement for potential candidates was done officially through Addis Ababa University Web-page and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering social media. The application time was from early June 2018 to July 25th 2018. About 16 candidates applied through the Addis Ababa University registrar and shortlisted to eight by reviewing the academic credentials of the applicants, 2 for each project.
c. Selection of Students
Two AAU professors, Dr Mengesha and Dr Getachew traveled to Sweden, to interview the candidates and select one for each project. Accordingly, for Project 1; supervisors Professor Lennart and Dr Mengesha selected Kena Likasa from Adama University, for Project 2; supervisors Professor Erik and Dr Getachew Bekele selected student Dawit Habtu, for Project 3; Professor Mikael Ameline and Dr. Getachew Bekele selected student Firehiwot and for Project 4; Professor Stanslaw Gubanski and Dr Mengesha Selected student Berhanu.
d. Admission Process to Addis Ababa University
The selected students passed through the admission process of Addis Ababa University regulations including taking examinations on language and general knowledge administered by the university for its PhD applicants. After passing the examination the four are given admission letters.
e. Joining their KTH and Chalmers Professors Laboratory research team and Course taking
Starting November 2018, process for visa started for all students to travel to their corresponding professors’ laboratories starting January 2019.
Student Dawit managed to get visa and went to Chalmers starting January while Berhanu went February, 2019. Kena and Hiwot went to KTH March 2019.
All students took 2 courses each on average. Berhanu spent four months, March to June 2019 at ABB in Ludvica. All students returned to Ethiopian end of June 2019.
f. Presentation on Workshop at KTH
Kena, Hiwot and Dawit presented their progress to their professors on workshop which took place on June 13th 2019 at KTH Royal institute of Technology. Similarly, Berhanu presented his progress report in the presence of his professors and ABB supervisors at ABB Ludivica factory on May 23rd 2019.
Recruitment of 8 PhD Candidates for 2019/20
For the second academic year, eight PhD candidates are under final stage of admission process. Four of the eight candidates are lecturers at Addis Ababa University while the other three are lecturers at four different public Universities; namely, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Jigjiga University, Wello University while the last female is from Ethiopian Electric power.