Message from the Corporate Director for Research and Community Engagement, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University

Welcome to the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) at Bahir Dar University (BDU), where we are deeply committed to excellence in research, meaningful community engagement, and state-of-the-art clinical services. Health research is the leading research theme among the four research themes given to BDU by the Ministry of Education. 

Bahir Dar University envisions becoming one of the top ten premier research universities in Africa. To realize this vision, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences has implemented a ten-year strategic plan aligned with the University plan and has a strong emphasis on problem-solving research and impactful participatory community service.

At the CMHS, our research and community service activities are grounded in national priorities and local needs. We focus on advancing health and health-related research that addresses pressing public health challenges while ensuring that our knowledge and technologies benefit the communities we serve. We identified research themes based on global, national, regional, and local level research priorities. Thematic research and service areas are identified collaboratively at both university and college levels, and we strive to align them with societal needs.

The CMHS has given high attention to research by assuming that research is a primary tool to transform the college and achieve its mission and vision. Accordingly, the college has two research corporate directors who are assigned to lead research, innovation, and community services in the college. The Research and Community Engagement Corporate Directorate Office is composed of the Corporate Director, the Directors of Research Affairs and Community Engagement, a Research Coordinator, the Mecha Demographic and Field Research Center, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). 

Research activities at CMHS are implemented through academic staff (research groups) and expanded graduate programs. Our academic staff have been engaged in problem-solving and innovative research activities in two ways:

  1. By forming multidisciplinary research teams within and across colleges and institutions, and 
  2. The college has many graduate programs ranging from undergraduate to advanced programs (subspeciality /subspeciality/, and PhD). Therefore, academic staff engage in research together with graduate programs in the form of being research advisors for students. 

Currently, the college has the following research infrastructures to facilitate research activities.

  1. Research and Community Engagement Corporate Directorate (RCS-CD), 
  2. Tana Research and Diagnostic Center (TRDC), 
  3. Mecha Demographic and Field Research Center (Mecha HDSS), 
  4. Biomedical Research Laboratory Center at the Felegehiwot campus, 
  5. Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital (TGSH), which offers state-of-the-art clinical services and serves as a center for clinical research. 

The college, in line with the university's motivating strategy to academic staff, uses publication incentives, best researcher award, best project grant winner award, and best community service award each year. As a result of these motivating strategies, combined with individual staff initiative, CMHS consistently ranks first among all colleges and institutes at Bahir Dar University (BDU) in terms of the number of research publications in reputable peer-reviewed journals, exceeding 400 articles annually. This represents a significant scientific contribution to the local, regional, national, and global community and enhances the university’s citation ranking.

Similarly, the CMHS has given priority attention to participatory and impactful community engagement activities through the active involvement of academic staff from each academic unit, graduate students in the college, stakeholders, and the community in which we live. Community service, equally integral to our mission, is delivered through two main ways:

1). By academic staff through multidisciplinary team formation within and outside the college. 2). Academic staff, together with students, through the academic programs the form of supervisors and facilitators. All departments and schools within CMHS engage directly with the surrounding health facilities and communities, offering tailored interventions and support based on problem prioritization. The community engagement sites not only serve as outreach platforms but also provide real-world teaching and research environments for our faculty and students.

Themes and subthemes at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences

Theme 1: Communicable and non-communicable diseases 

Sub-themes

  • Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
  • Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders/Diseases
  • Mental, Eye, and Oral Health
  • Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTGs)
  • Accidents and Injuries (Inc. Road Traffic Accidents)
  • Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases
  • Cancer, Epidemiology, Prevention and Intervention Strategies
  • Diagnostic Methods, Development and Evaluation of Tropical Diseases

Theme 2: Nutrition and Health 

Sub-themes

  • Nutrient Intake and Nutritional Disorders
  • Feeding Practices, Development and Social Wellbeing
  • Nutrition, Child Health, and Education
  • Nutrition and Infectious Diseases
  • Obesity and Chronic Diseases

Theme 3: Health Systems and Policy 

Sub-themes

  • Healthy Policy and Health Care Delivery 
  • Health Inequality and Social Determinants of Health 
  • Health Care Systems and Outcomes Research: Building a better, sustainable delivery system through effective and efficient partnerships 
  • Health Care Quality, Equity, and Stakeholders' Interaction/Engagement 
  • Health Care Transformation and Appropriate Technology 
  • Health Sector Data: Source, Quality, and Sharing Mechanisms for Improvement in Service Delivery, Education, and Research 
  • Traditional Medicine, Public Safety, and Integration Policy 
  • Health Ethics and Professionalism 

Theme 4: Population, Environment, and Health 

Sub-themes

  • Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Maternal, Child, and Neonatal Health
  • Population Dynamics and Gender
  • Socio-Cultural Practices, Religious Beliefs, and Health
  • Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Ecology, Climate Change, Toxicology, and Health
  • Urbanization, Industrialization, Globalization, Migration, and Health
  • Water, Waste Management, Development, and Health
  • Communication and Health Behavior: Methods and Theoretical Approaches

Theme 5: Health Science Education and Innovation

Sub-themes

  • Curricula and Quality of Education
  • Curricula and Health Workforce Productivity and Innovation
  • Curricula and Knowledge/Technology Transfer
  • Higher Education in Health Sciences and Ecological Accountability

The Corporate Director for Research and Community Services has the following Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Develops and articulates the mission, vision, values, and objectives related to the office of RCSCD, as well as communicates and inculcates them to the college and its units and communities, internal and external stakeholders.
  2. Formulates the RCSCD office’s strategic and annual plan in consultation with respective directors, coordinators, and other relevant stakeholders (public/industry, etc.) and submits to the College Senate/CED office for final approval.
  3. Coordinates the research and community-engagement related activities in all academic programs (advanced/higher diplomas, master's, PhDs, postdoctoral, clinical specialty and subspecialty certificates) and service units.
  4. Design policy for research and community service undertaking and translation, and impact evaluation.
  5. Plans (short-term, midterm, long-term), follow up the implementation with BDU-CMHS, the directors/deans of respective directorates/schools, and report the RCS activities to the CED and other relevant college offices.
  6. Participate in the college executive management, the Management Council, and other forums as deemed appropriate.
  7. Serves as chair of the research council and the Senate mandate standing committees, including the Research, Development and Publications Committee (RPC), and the Grant Hunting and Writing Committee (GHWC) Research and Publication.
  8. Participates in other college standing committees [The Academic Standards and Curriculum Review Committee (ASCRC); The staff Recruitment, Appointment and Promotion Committee (SRAPC); The Library and ICT Development Committee (LICTDC); and varied hospital committees] as appropriate.
  9. Formulates standards and work procedures relevant to research, community-based education, community engagement, Institutional Review Board (IRB), publication, printing, and dissemination, in the College in line with the College or University-wide or national policies, rules, and regulations as appropriate.
  10. Supports excellence and growth in research and community-based education and services/engagement by delivering quality service, promoting compliance, and harnessing efficiencies.
  11. Works in close collaboration with other partner groups in other central and University offices to help ensure the overall effective coordination of research administration services, systems, policies, and processes.
  12. Proactive matchmaking and acquisition of third-party contract research and community projects with other research institutions and national and international universities, and support in liaising processes, that is, support in writing Memoranda of Understanding, facilitating contacts and collaboration between students, staff, and industry/government.
  13. Coordinates and endorses research and community proposals for approval and funding.
  14. Designs and enforces quality assurance mechanisms for research and the BDU-CMHS community project/ activity.
  15. Facilitates the mobilization, generation and diversification, and intelligent use of limited resources to support the activities of the college’s research, entrepreneurship, innovation, and community units.
  16. Facilitates funding opportunities for searches, community engagements, reviews, and endorses sponsored projects proposals, negotiates, and accepts awards on behalf of the college.
  17. Promotes the technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and innovation plan of the nation.
  18. Initiates and facilitates external relations with a view to foreign partnerships with research institutions, philanthropists, and the industry.
  19. Coordinates collective planning and work towards aligning the research units and their programs with greater interdisciplinary ties and joint operations.
  20. Ensures that research and community engagement at the college and its units shall be primarily focused on promoting the relevance, quality, and impact of research and community engagement evidence to guide policy formulations within the University and the country at large.
  21. Ensures all research and community service-related award directives (best researcher of the year award, Mekonnen Assefa’s Best Community Provider of the year award, Best RCS partners award, etc.) are implemented; and gets them revised or develops new ones when deemed necessary.
  22. Uses the College Directive, University legislation, FMoE, FMoH, and other relevant government bodies' guidelines, directives, etc., for workflow.
  23. Shall undertake other activities assigned by the CED as appropriate.

Contact:

Dr.Mulusew Andualem, Corporate Director for Research Development and Community Engagement

Mobile: +251 91 381 4608

Email: muler.hi@gmail.com