1. Directorate’s Message
Dear Viewers, Welcome to Research and Development Website page. It is my pleasure to introduce you our research activities.
Research and development directorate has been started its work since its establishment accountableto Vice President of Research and community Service. It aims to facilitate research and publicationof research findings to disseminate it to the end users. The directorate assigned to it under the senate legislation of WKU shall do the following tasks: planning, organizing, leading, managing and controlling the activities of all research programs and regulating overall research affairs of theuniversity; coordinating and facilitating collaborative research programs with donors and funding agencies; organizing research proposal development team for the purpose of searching external research grants; coordinating and facilitating research activities; Call for concept note, concept note & proposal review; allocate research budgets; organizing and monitoring periodic revision of thematic research areas; follow up the proper implementation of policies, rules and regulations for research programs; and fostering institutional review board and follow up the research ethics; organizing the activities of the journal publication and facilitate to be recognized in world leadingdatabase system; facilitate and organize research related training and annual research conference.
We are working on the remarkable effort to recall the university and continue its competency. I call you to explore and enjoy our website of our work at WKU. I invite you to join us to work together in achieving the goals.
Warm regards,
Dr. Teshome Yitbarek, Research and Development Directorate, Director Phone no.: +251927426316
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2. Research Database
The research databases is easily searchable research related information in Wolkite University granted by internal or external donor. This research database includes those researches done in Wolkite University granted by WKU or by other donors and compiled the data in website for communicating with the readers. It can be illustrated as completed or/and ongoing and grant type.This will allow to search and differentiate individual’s research works that has been done in different years.
3. Thematic Areas
The directorate created the research thematic areas based on the priority of the country, mission ofthe university and the need of the surrounding community. Therefore, the thematic area can be revised based on the need of the community accordingly.
4. Research Project Sites
There are about four research sites (Yefereze, Geche, Wabe and Gedeb) where enset, coffee, fruits and medicinal plant related researches are taking place.
RESEARCH THEMATIC AREAS OF WOLKITE UNIVERSITY
Research Priority Area 1: Agriculture and Natural Resource
Theme 1: Livestock and Fishery Production
Sub-theme 1: Genetics and breed improvement
Sub-theme 2: Feed and feeding improvement
Sub-theme 3: Animal health and welfare
Sub-theme 4: Input supply and service delivery
Sub-theme 5: Livestock production and environment
Sub-theme 6: Beekeeping
Theme 2: Cereal, Horticulture & Oil Crop Improvements
Sub-theme 1: Seed System
Sub-theme 2: Agronomy and physiology of crops
Sub-theme 3: Existing major production constraints (disease &pest)
Sub-theme 4: Postharvest handling
Sub-theme 5: Crops breeding and improvement
Sub-theme 6: Tropical and subtropical fruit
Sub-theme 7: Coffee production
Sub-theme 8: Enset production
Theme 3: Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation
Sub-theme 1: Biodiversity conservation
Sub-theme 2: Wildlife conservation and management
Theme 4: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Sub-theme1: Environmental resistance and genetically crops variety improvement
Sub-theme2: Vaccine and drug development
Sub-theme3: Cross breeding and tissue culture
Theme 5: Natural Resource Management
Sub-theme 1: Watershed management
Sub-theme 2: Soil resource management and agro-forestry
Sub-theme 3: Forest conservation and management
Sub-theme 4: Environmental management and climate change
Sub-theme 5: Irrigation water resources development and management
Sub-Theme 6: Natural resource and social conflict
Theme 6: Natural Resources Economics Concern
Sub-Theme 1: Natural resource &environmental valuation
Theme 7: Agricultural Extension System and Service Delivery
Sub-theme 1: Technological impact, economic efficacy, value chain
Sub-theme 2: Food security,
Sub-theme 3: Agriculture innovation and adoption
Theme 8: Agri-business Marketing, and Value chain
Sub-theme 1: Value creation and gender dynamics
Sub-theme 2: Value Chain for Strategic Agricultural Commodities
Sub-theme 3: Production challenge, cooperative, Farming system
Theme 9: Agricultural Mechanization
Sub-theme 1: Design and prototyping of farm implements
Sub-theme 2: Design and prototyping of livestock production and processing technology
Sub-theme 3: Development of mechanized irrigation system
Sub-theme 3: Development of packaging and storage technology
Research Priority Area 2: Manufacturing and Engineering
Theme 1: Constriction Materials and Technology
Sub-theme 1: Construction project management
Sub-theme 2: Materials science & advancement of materials
Sub-theme 3: Low-cost construction materials and methods
Sub-theme 4: Irrigation technology
Sub-theme 5: Hydraulic structures
Sub-theme 6: Transport system & safety
Theme 2: Regional and Urban Planning and Design
Sub-theme 1: Land escape and ecological architecture
Theme 3: Textile and Fashion Technology
Sub-theme 1: Industrial process and quality control
Sub-theme 2: Development and optimization of machineries
Sub-theme 3: Novel technologies and process improvement in textile sectors
Sub-theme 4: Apparel enterprise development and technology transfer
Sub-theme 5: Analysis and improvement of sewing workstation for garment industry and related.
Theme 4: Emerging Technology & Innovative Product Development
Research Priority Area 3: Culture and Tourism
Theme 1: Culture & Tourism Development
Sub-theme 1: Tourism attraction
Sub-theme 2: Hotel and service industry for tourism
Sub theme 3: Theatre and community development
Sub theme 4: Language, culture and folklore
Sub theme 5: Identity and tradition
Sub theme 6: History and heritage management
Sub-theme 7: Film
Sub-theme 8: Cultural sports
Research Priority Area 4: Mining and Energy
Theme 1: Earth Resources Exploration
Sub-theme 1: Ground water exploration
Sub-theme 2: Geo-hazard assessment
Theme 2: Energy & Energy Management Systems
Sub-theme 1: Renewable energy
Sub-theme 2: Geotechnical and environmental engineering
Research Priority Area 5: Digital Technology
Theme 1: Information and Communication Technology
Sub-theme 1: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Sub-theme 2: Networking and Security
Sub-theme 3: Software and Reverse Engineering
Sub-theme 4: Digital Inclusion
Sub-theme 5: Data Science, Big Data and High-Performance computing
Sub-theme 6: Internet of Things and Embedded System
Sub-theme 7: Telecommunications and IT Infrastructures
Sub theme 8: Algorithm Designing, Simulation & Modeling and Computer Architecture
Sub-theme 9: Human Computer Interaction
Sub-theme 10: Distributed/Cloud/Green/Mobile/Edge/Pervasive Computing
Sub-theme 11: Augmented and Virtual Reality
Sub-theme 12: Quantum Computing
Research Priority Area 6: Education
Theme 1: Education and Leadership
Sub-theme 1: Quality education
Sub-theme 2: Education policy and leadership
Sub-theme 3: Change and innovation in education
Sub-theme 3: School supervision and managements of change
Sub-theme 4: Curriculum relevance and teacher education
Sub-theme 5: Teaching- learning, assessment and evaluation
Sub-theme 6: ECCE (Early Child Care and Education) and child development
Theme 2: Psychology and Well Being
Sub-theme 1: Behavioral problems in children and adolescence
Sub-theme 2: Psychosocial issues
Sub-theme 3: Social influence on individual behavior
Sub-theme 4: Guidance & counseling
Sub-theme 5: Career development and choices
Sub-theme 6: Disability, vulnerability and inclusiveness
Research Priority Area 7: Health and Wellbeing
Theme 1: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Sub-theme 2: Health care seeking behavior of the community
Sub-theme 3: Behavioral and social determinants of health
Sub-theme 2: Health service and safety, outbreak control and management
Sub-theme 4: Nutrition
Sub-theme 5: Orphan, disability and socially disadvantaged groups
Theme 2: Reproductive, Sexual, Maternal, Newborn, Child health
Sub Theme1: Reproductive and sexual health
Sub Theme2: Maternal, new-born and child health
Sub Theme3: Young people’s reproductive health and substance use/abuse
Sub Theme 4: Gender based violence and Women empowerment and Harmful traditional practices
Theme 3: Sport for Health
Sub-theme 1: Mass sport and sport for fitness
Theme 4: Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety
Sub-theme 1: Housing/health problems in residential and institutional environment
Sub-theme 2: Food & water handling, safety and hygiene
Sub-theme 3: Waste management, sanitation and personal hygiene.
Sub-theme 4: Occupational health and hazards
Theme 5: Communicable & Non-Communicable Disease and Control
Sub-theme 1: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and communicable disease control
Sub theme 2: chronic and non-communicable disease
Sub-theme 3: Mental health & wellbeing
Research Priority Area 8: Governance, Human Security & Macroeconomy Concern
Theme 1: Macroeconomy, Leadership and Governance
Sub theme 1: Leadership strategy & challenge
Sub theme 2: Market and government regulation
Sub theme 3: Business ethics and corporate governance
Sub-theme 4: Investment climate and industrial policy
Sub-theme 5: Structural transformation
Sub-theme 6: Regional economic integration and international finance
Sub theme 7: Morality, ethics & corruption
Sub theme 8: Conflict, peace and security
Sub theme 9: Federalism and local governance
Sub theme 10: Politics and international relation
Sub-theme11: Hydro politics
Sub theme 12: Democratization
Research Priority Area 9: Development & Business
Theme 1: Urbanization, Modernization and Migration
Sub-theme 1: Urban planning and land governance
Sub-theme 2: Rural-urban linkages
Sub-theme 3: Rural and urban infrastructures and utilities
Sub-theme 4: Unemployment and human capital
Sub theme 5: poverty reduction & livelihood/income diversification
Sub theme 6: Entrepreneurship
Sub-theme 7: Deviance and crime,
Sub-theme 8: Development projects and social dimension
Theme 2: Business, Economics and Finance
Sub theme 1: Financial management and auditing
Sub theme 2: Taxation concern
Sub theme 3: Financial market and institutions
Research Priority Area 9: Justices and Rule of Law
Theme 1: Human Rights, Public and International law
Sub-theme 1: International and trans-boundary water law
Sub-theme 2: International humanitarian law
Sub-theme 3: Constitution and constitutionalism
Sub-theme 4: Media law and access to public information
Sub-theme 5: Rule of law and administrative law
Sub-theme 6: Election laws
Theme 2: Protection of Right and Access to Justice
Sub theme 1: Protection of rights of children, women and other vulnerable groups
Sub theme 2: Property, economic, labor & employment right
Sub theme 3: criminal justices & fair trail right
Sub theme 4: Development & right
Research Priority Area 10: Indigenous Knowledge Development
Theme 1: Agriculture and Natural Resource
Sub-theme 1: Livestock production and indigenous knowledge
Sub theme 2: Indigenous agricultural knowledge and practices
Theme 2: Manufacturing and Engineering
Sub-theme 1: Indigenous clothing and globalization of fashion products
Theme 3: Culture and Tourism
Sub-theme 1: Indigenous performance
Theme 4: Health and Wellbeing
Sub-theme 1: Traditional and herbal medicine
Sub-theme 2: Traditional health care practices
Sub-theme 3: Traditional foods and nutritional approaches
Theme 5: Justices and Rule of Law
Sub-theme 1: Indigenous restorative justice and cultural rights