Bahir Dar University (BDU) is a public research university located in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The university is credited with training distinguished scientists and notable public servants.
Bahir Dar University was created from the merger of two former higher institutions. These were the Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute and Bahir Dar Teachers College.
The university was inaugurated on May 6, 2000, and the Polytechnic Institute and the Teachers College became the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Education, respectively. BDU began offering bachelor's degree programs in 1966 and continues to expand its research and teaching in all fields and levels of study, including PhD programs.
Bahir Dar University has a 25,000-capacity stadium on its campus, named Bahir Dar University Stadium, in Bahir Dar. It is used mostly for association football matches.
Historical Development
The first was Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which formed one of the faculties of the university, was established in 1963 under the technical cooperation between the Government of USSR and the Imperial Government of Ethiopia.
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The objective of the institute was to train skilled technicians in the fields of Agro-Mechanics, Industrial Chemistry and Metal, Textile, Electrical and Wood Technologies. The Institute had to undergo number of program changes within the area of technology until the commencement of the Engineering degree program 1996.
The other institution of higher learning was Bahir Dar Teachers College, which had been established more than three decades ago. Its original name was the Academy of Pedagogy, and it was created in 1972 by the tripartite agreement of the Imperial Government, UNESCO, and UNDP and started actual work in the following year under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts.
Its general objective was to train multi-purpose primary education professionals capable of adopting primary education to rural life and rural development. Soon after its beginning, however, the program only focused on offering pedagogics as a major area of study and Amharic, English, Geography and Mathematics as minor courses.
Later, diploma programs were introduced when in 1996 the diploma offering departments were raised to degree level. The two institutions were integrated into Bahir Dar University following the Council of Ministers regulation no. 60/1999.
In addition, the university added two more faculties, that of Business and Economics and the faculty of Law, which were established in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Besides the disciplines already listed, Bahir Dar also has an institute of Textile and Garment and Maritime Academy, the only ones in Ethiopia, as well as College Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Moreover, the university has started postgraduate programmes in the fields of mathematics, pedagogical science, Amharic, physics, media and communications. It has also started the Institute of Land Administration.
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Faculties and Programs
Bahir Dar University has a diverse range of faculties and programs, catering to various fields of study.
Engineering Faculty
The Engineering Faculty has the following departments:
- Automotive Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electromechanical Engineering
- Textile Engineering
- Water Resources Engineering
- Food and Biochemical Technology Departments
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences is one of the academic and administrative units of Bahir Dar University. It was established in November 2008 following a restructuring that split it from the former Faculty of Education. Currently, the faculty offers a diverse array of academic programs, including eleven undergraduate and sixteen postgraduate programs, comprising fourteen Master’s degrees, six Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.
Undergraduate Programs:
- Social Anthropology (BA)
- Sociology (BA)
- Social Work (BA)
- Gender and Development Studies (BA)
- Political Science and International Relations (BA)
- Philosophy (BA)
- Civics and Ethical Studies (BA)
- Geography and Environmental Studies (BA)
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Population Studies
- History and Heritage Management (BA)
- Heritage and Museum Studies
Postgraduate Programs:
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The faculty also offers twelve ongoing Master's programs in:
- Social Anthropology
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Civics and Ethical Studies
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Population Studies
- History (focusing on the Modern History of the Nile Valley regions)
- Heritage and Museum Studies
- Social Work
- Gender and Development Studies
Doctoral Programs:
In addition to Master’s programs, the faculty has six Ph.D. programs in:
- Political Science and International Studies
- Social Anthropology
- Geography and Environmental Management
- History
- Social Work and Social Development
The university has BSc, MSc and PhD postgraduate programme in all fields. The Land Administration Program of Bahir Dar University, started in 2008, is the first of its kind in Ethiopia.
The themes of the program are: land law, land dispute resolution mechanisms, land valuation and compensation techniques, modern land measurement and registration, land certification and updating, cadastre and computer mapping, as well as land tenure studies.
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Summary of Academic Programs
In summary, the Faculty of Social Sciences at Bahir Dar University encompasses a comprehensive range of academic programs, including eleven undergraduate, twelve Master’s, and four Ph.D.
Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which has transformed itself into Technology and Textile institutes, was established in 1963 under the technical cooperation between the Government of USSR and the Imperial Government of Ethiopia.
Table of Programs Offered at Bahir Dar University
| Program Level | Number of Programs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (BA, BSc) | 11+ | Social Anthropology, Civil Engineering |
| Postgraduate (MSc, MA) | 12+ | Sociology, Geography and Environmental Studies |
| Doctoral (PhD) | 6+ | Political Science, History |
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