Background

Wolkite University established by the Council of Ministry of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia by the proclamation No. 1097/2011. Accordingly, the University is determined to contribute to the reduction of poverty and the enhancement of growth and transformation of the national economy by producing competent professionals, conducting problem-solving research, and providing different community service activities. 

Wolkite University has gone through a series of significant changes since its establishment as a higher learning institution. For the establishment of the university, the foundation was laid in 2010 by considering the community high demand.

Wolkite University, being one of the recently established third generation public higher institutions and which was categorized under Universities of Applied Sciences, started its teaching and learning process in November 24, 2012 G.C.

The University has been started the teaching and learning process in Wolkite Industrial College by admitting 551 first batch students in three colleges: namely College of Engineering and Technology (with 353 students ), College of natural and Computational Science (with 84 students) and College of Computing and Informatics (with 114 students).

During the University establishment there were 13 departments at the time of the commencement. The departments were Construction & Technology Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Food Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Garment Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information System, Applied Biology and Applied Physics.

 After the first phase of the construction has been finished, most of the University staff members-especially the academic staffs- shifted their place from Wolkite Poly Technique College to the newly constructed main campus- Gubrye - the place which is far from Wolkite town by 14km and from Addis Ababa by 174km. 

In the 2013 academic year, by conducting a need assessment and getting approval from the university senate and from the Ministry of Education (MOE) additional four colleges were opened by admitting new 1156 students.

The newly opened colleges were Health Sciences & Medicine, College of Social Science and Humanities, College of Agriculture, and College of Business and Economics. Similarly, in 2014 academic year, by adding one School (School of Law), the University runs 32 undergraduate programs (by admitting 2227 students) in seven colleges and one school. By expanding the College of Behavioral Science in 2018, the University has increased the number of colleges to 8. 

Since its inception, the university, as a higher education institution, has been fulfilling its role in producing the required human resources in quantity and quality and fulfilling the required human power in various sectors at the national level.  Considering this fact in the 2006 academic year for the first time the University has graduated 65 students in two departments: namely in applied biology and applied physics. By enhancing the number of graduating students, with in the last ten years the University has graduated more than 17,000 students.

It is believed that the graduates will have a significant national contribution to ensure the sustainability of the sector, social and economic changes, capacity building, technology and human resource development. By doing so, the University is playing its part in fulfilling its mission and accomplishing the national demand of educated manpower.

 In line with this, the University has prepared a ten-year road map, a five-year strategic plan and a one-year annual plan and is fulfilling its role in teaching, research and community service.

As it was clearly stated in the strategic plan of the University, the vision of the institution is to be one of the leading applied science universities in Ethiopia by 2022 E.C. To ensure this vision the University has adopted the following values.

• Desire for truth and freedom of expression. 
• Institutional competitiveness and cooperation,
• Fame based on mission success. 
• Ensuring institutional independence with accountability. 
• To abhor and fight corruption. 
• Legality and fairness. 
• Effective use of resources. 
• Efficient and quality service. 
• Participation. 
• Maintaining diversity. 
• Acknowledging and encouraging innovation are the core values of the University.