In May 2017, the Faculty of Social Sciences hosted consultative workshop among the university community, concerned government and Non-government organizations up on the need and relevance of establishing Migration Research Institute (MRI) at BDU
As part of its vision, our University has set an ambitious plan that boldly aspires to be one of the leading and preferred centers of learning and research institute. Provision of quality education and producing academically competent and capable individuals have been the key goals and components of higher institution of learning. Recently however, there is a changing, yet crucial trend that we often noticed in many universities of our country. There is for example strong emphasis on the need and importance of actively involving at and working directly with problems and challenges that have faced the local community. Despite the underpinning limitations that one would expect in launching such new initiatives, since the last few years, Bahir Dar University has achieved significant progress in this regard.
In view of the vision and mission of the university, the faculty of social sciences has also stressed on the urgency and importance of establishing research institute that would address one of the most serious issues and problems the entire world has faced with, i.e. migration. Migration, despite its old history as humanity does, is now becoming the most widely propagated problem both at national and international level. Its immense, severely interacted and outlandish consequences have greatly pressurized and engulfed many countries and institutions in a diehard struggle to find workable solution. We do not want to delve into the very philosophy, characterizing features and working definitions of migration at this point. Yet, it is very crucial and worth demanding to stress on the importance of launching research centers or institutes that are particularly focused on migration. This is mainly because the problem is mounting high and high with devastating catastrophe. Establishing such institutes specifically in universities or higher learning environments does have immediate and practical advantages since universities are very close to individuals ready to learn and produce scientific research output that would impart knowledge and attitude of lasting consequence on the youth and the community at large. Our societies really have better idea about migration, and undeniably they have heard of its daunting and tantamount negative impacts again and again. Yet they, rather we, failed to internalize how grave the problem and the challenge is all about, otherwise lost the means how to handle it. We also failed, above all, to set or workout plans how to address the multifaceted home problems that hindered societal progress and transformation.
It is at such critical junction that the involvement and contribution of universities should be paramount and mandatory. The faculty of social sciences, thanks to its determined staffs, has thus planned to establish the migration research institute at BDU. In establishing this institute, our main premise lies on the plain fact that migration is a very complex; dynamic and socially rooted problem that needs more coordinated, focused and well planned initiatives that ought to be worked closely in collaboration with academicians, students, policy makers, local communities, and other concerned institutions and individual. Therefore this research institute would be
- great opportunity for scholars to develop and work out new approaches and paradigms relevant to effectively manage the complex problems surrounding migration
- a perfect avenue to conduct rigorous scientific research that would help concerned institutions and bodies to better understand the causes, character and pattern and impacts of migration.
- an ideal place to bring academicians, students, policy makers, local communities, and other concerned institutions and individuals together. In other words, it would be a platform to organize different workshops, seminars or conferences of local, national and international sort.
- an important and pragmatic learning center for the wider community as it is closely situated with the university where there are thousands of young and ambitious students.
Dear participants, the faculty strongly believe that your comments and suggestions are vital and constructive to further enrich the draft proposal as well as to the proper realization or implementation of the research institute. This workshop would thus offer the opportunity to exploit the valuable suggestions and critical comments that would emerge out from this which would in turn augment the initiated efforts.
