But reaching this goal has been a challenge. Dawit needs lab equipment and books for her university, but the lab equipment Dawit wants is not manufactured in Ethiopia, and has to be imported at high prices.
On top of needing to subsidize the costs of textbooks and tuition for her students, Dawit and her partner also must deal with attempts by the government to interfere with the management of the university. The government is wary of expanding the private sector of education, she said.
These roadblocks have not stopped Dawit. Her university graduated its first class in 2006 and plans to add a fourth department in March and offer a masters program once three classes of students have graduated. There are currently 306 students, and 45 instructors at Kisama, which is located in Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa.
According to Dawit, all 91 students of Kisama's graduating class of 2006 are employed. In addition, employers are impressed by the skills and professionalism of the graduates and are asking the university to send them more students.
This, Dawit said, is a credit to the education that the students are receiving at Kisama. She and others believe that the future of Ethiopia lies in technological know-how. Without it, the nation will not be able to develop, she said.
Over the next five to 10 years, Dawit hopes to see Kisama continue to grow. She also plans to continue research and development into construction material, solar and wind energy and town planning.
On top of needing to subsidize the costs of textbooks and tuition for her students, Dawit and her partner also must deal with attempts by the government to interfere with the management of the university. The government is wary of expanding the private sector of education, she said.
These roadblocks have not stopped Dawit. Her university graduated its first class in 2006 and plans to add a fourth department in March and offer a masters program once three classes of students have graduated. There are currently 306 students, and 45 instructors at Kisama, which is located in Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa.
According to Dawit, all 91 students of Kisama's graduating class of 2006 are employed. In addition, employers are impressed by the skills and professionalism of the graduates and are asking the university to send them more students.
This, Dawit said, is a credit to the education that the students are receiving at Kisama. She and others believe that the future of Ethiopia lies in technological know-how. Without it, the nation will not be able to develop, she said.
Over the next five to 10 years, Dawit hopes to see Kisama continue to grow. She also plans to continue research and development into construction material, solar and wind energy and town planning.
