Research & Community Service at MTU
The Research and Community Services Vice President Office is responsible for coordinating the conduct of basic and applied multidisciplinary research, delivery of professional and community services, demand-driven training and consultancies, institutional linkage and partnership, research publication and extension/technology transfer, and indigenous knowledge and culture studies.
To effectively and efficiently deliver the mission of the Vice President Office, the office is organized into five directorates: Research and Grants, Community Services, Institutional Linkage and Technology Transfer, Publication and Extension, and Indigenous Knowledge and Culture Studies.
Furthermore, there are two campus-level directors for research, community services, and institutional linkage coordination, who are responsible for campus-level research and community service activities. The research, community service, and institutional linkage services and activities at colleges and schools' levels are coordinated through vice deans for research and community services.
Research and Publication Directorate
The research undertaking at the university focuses on national and local priorities, organized into different multidisciplinary themes which are liable to revision every five years. The research themes on which the university focuses include:
We grant on average 40 to 50 research projects per annum. The conduct of research is governed by nationally harmonized research and community services guidelines, and university-level guidelines endorsed by the University Senate. The outputs of research are documented and made available for students and the university community at the Research Resource Center.
Research output is disseminated via research weeks held once a quarter and one annual national conference. Furthermore, on average 60 to 70 original research articles are published annually in reputable national and international journals affiliated with our university. We have five research centers where agricultural products and technologies are adapted, demonstrated, and transferred to the needy community.
Community Services Directorate
As per the MoSHE Directive No: Research 01/219 (August 2019), the Community Services Directorate is mandated to deliver services to the community on the following major community service activities and priorities:
The directorate has been addressing priority community problems identified in consultation with the community. The areas of services and training include capacity building in education quality and access, digital skills, healthcare delivery, health workforce in-service training, legal aid, social services for the elderly and the most affected (people living with HIV, chronic illness like epilepsy and mental illness), safe water supply and waste disposal, agricultural productivity, natural resource management, animal husbandry, and financial management.
To efficiently deliver community services, the university has its own Teaching Hospital where comprehensive healthcare services are delivered, and where students and health professionals are trained. Similarly, we have a building in Bench Sheko Zone High Court where we deliver free legal aid for the poor. As part of community services, we also have a Culture and Indigenous Research and Development Center on the university compound, where the cultural heritage of surrounding communities is documented and organized for further research and advancement.
University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate
The University-Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer (UIL-TT) Directorate is organized to carry out duties and responsibilities related to technology transfer and industry/institutional linkages. The directorate is also responsible for coordinating and administering the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Center.
The office strives to build sustainable relations with different industries through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which help both stakeholders find ways to work together and get the best out of their synergy. The directorate coordinates and facilitates the creation, adaptation, or adoption of demand-driven technologies aimed at enhancing multifaceted societal development.
The Objectives of UIL & TT
Through these directorates, Mizan-Tepi University continues to strengthen the links between research, community service, and national development — ensuring that the knowledge generated within our walls translates into tangible benefits for the communities we serve.