Mr. Fitsum Etefa (Lecturer)

  Full Name: Fitsum E. Ahmed (Senior Lecturer, & Researcher)

  Birth Date: June 24, 1991 

  Gender: Male 

  Nationality: Ethiopian 

                                Marital Status: Married 

                                Phone: (+251) 979-27-4017 

                                Email: Oneday790@gmail.com 

                                P.O. Box: 1037

                                Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

                                Residential & Professional Location: Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia 

Educational Background

  • Master of Science, Leather Product Design and Engineering - June 26, 2018:

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Bachelor of Science, Textile Engineering - June 26, 2015: 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia

  • Higher Diploma Program (HDP) for Teacher Education - Completed (2020 - 2021):

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Ethiopian Higher Education Leadership Programme (ETHELP 2020 - 2021)

Ethiopian Institute for Higher Education (EIHE), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

Teaching, Academic & Research Experience

Lecturer and Senior Researcher: July 2015 – Present: 

  • Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia.

Leadership & Administrative Appointments

  • Director of the Leather Processing and Product Research & Innovation Center - March 21, 2020 – May 23, 2023. 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Leather Engineering Program Head - September 8, 2017 - March 18, 2020 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • EiTEX Senate Complaint Review Committee Member - January 1, 2021 -February 28, 2021 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Academic Standards and Curriculum Review Committee Member (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) - March 21, 2020 - October 5, 2021 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Academic Unit and Senate Mandate Document Preparation Committee Member (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) - August 18, 2020 – October 10, 2020 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Expansion Land Request Document Preparation Coordinator (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) – August 24, 2020 - October 13, 2020 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Curriculum Harmonization and Development Contributor (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) - August 25, 2019 – July 5, 2021 

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia. 

  • Research, Publications, Community Service, and Technology Transfer Standing Committee Member (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) - March 21, 2020 - August 9, 2022 

Institution: Bahir Dar University, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX), Ethiopia.

  • Technology Transfer Coordinator: Pilot Implementation of PET Recycling Project (EiTEX, Bahir Dar University) - March 2020 - November 2020
  • Specification and Standardization Committee Member: ANRS Police Commission Shoe Supply Project - January 1, 2013 - February 29, 2013 (E.C.)
  • Role & Activities: Served as coordinator in developing standardized technical specifications for various types of specialized footwear samples, successfully carrying out industrial linkage quality assurance tasks. 
    • Mentored Around 20 undergraduate engineering students through the complete lifecycle of data collection, experimental methodology design, and statistical analysis for Bachelor of Science theses, achieving a 100% graduation rate. 

Graduate Mentoring & Supervision Experience

BSc Thesis Advisor & Mentor: (2016 - 2026) 

  • Facilitated and supervised student-led presentations at major international scientific conferences. 

Project Monitoring, Quality Assurance & Industry Linkage Experience

EU Project Participant & Quality Contributor: Xllence4LeatherAfric (Project No: 101183417-ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CB-VET)

  • Role & Activities: Project manager in Xllence4LeatherAfric project on behalf of Bahir Dar University under the 2026 Erasmus+ Capacity Building Vocational Education call.

FootwearHub4Africa (Project No: 101314363-ERASMUS-EDU-2026-CBHE)

Awards & International Recognition

  • Winner of the Young Leather Scientist Grant (Basic Research): International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) (2022). 

Awarded globally for innovative, high-impact research on eco-friendly industrial leather processing, cleaner production technologies, and sustainable chemical management.

  • Bachelor’s degree Graduate Best Project Winner: Bahir Dar University (2015).
    • Leading community-based reforestation and environmental literacy campaigns in Ethiopia, directly contributing to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). 

Honored for an outstanding undergraduate final-year research and engineering design project demonstrating academic excellence and practical industrial application, specifically for developing a Manual Hank Reeling Machine.

Social Impact, Community Service & Advocacy

Member: Ecotourism, Environment & Community Development (EECD) (2019 - Present) 

Emergency Community Service Committee Member: Military Support Production Task (February 25, 2014 - March 6, 2014 E.C.)

  • Successfully executed community service operations involving the precision cutting and sewing of medical and field gear, including stretchers, bullet-clasp leather bags, foldable sleeping bags, arm slings, gauze, bandages, and blankets for national defense personnel. 

Peer-Reviewer Service For International Journals

  • Reviewer: Journal of the Textile Institute 
  • Reviewer: European Journal of Medicinal Plants (ISSN: 2231-0894) 
  • Reviewer: The NILEST Journal of Science, Technology, and Management (ISSN: 2456-023) 

Conference Presentations & Proceedings

Presenter: 10th International Conference on Cotton, Textile and Apparel Value Chain in Africa (CTA-2022) (May 20 - 21, 2022):

  • Presented poster titled "Design related challenges of Ethiopian Leather Footwear Manufacturing Industries and Possible areas of Interventions". 
  • Contributed as an active Fashion Show Committee Member. 
  • Presented paper titled "Ethiopian Water Hyacinth Leaf Extract as a Potential Tannery Effluent Treatment Material".

Presenter: SINO-AFRICA International Symposium on Textile and Apparel (2019) 

  • Presented paper titled "Design and Development of a Manual Hank Reeling Machine" at Donghua University, China. 

Presenter: First National Research Conference of the Federal Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institute (FTI) (June 15, 2019) 

  • Presented paper titled "Design and Development of Manual Textile Chemical Mixing and Processing Machine". 

Certificates

  • Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Certificate: Florida University Southeast, School of Professional Studies (FUSE-SPS) (Issued June 2026) 
  • Train the Trainer Certificate: CTCP, Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre (April 2026) 

Publications In Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journals

  1. Ahmed, F.E., Wodag, A.F., Gelebo, G.G., Gebre, B.M. & Ayana, M.T. (2025). Investigating the tannin content and phytochemical composition of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Journal of Engineering, 2025(1), p.3967820.
  2. Ahmed, F.E., Chaka, K.T., Zegeye, L.H., & Worku, B.G. (2023). Compressive Strength of Floor Tile Composites from Recycled PET Reinforced with Natural Fibers. Journal of Natural Fibers, 20(1), 2146249.
  3. Wodag, A.F., Tadesse, B., Biresaw, T., Dessale, T., Ahmed, F.E., & Teshome, Z. (2023). Antibacterial property of synthetic upper leather treated by garlic and ginger peels extracts. Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, 30(4), pp.435–440.
  4. Ahmed, F.E., Shitu, A., Teshome, Z., Yihune, E., Bitew, M. & Fenta, H.M. (2023). Anti-ectoparasite activity of medicinal herbal plant in terms of reducing ectoparasites effect on sheep and goat skins. Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, 118(11), pp.462–473.
  5. Alemu, L.G., Tesfaye, T., Babu, K.M., Solomon, B., Teshome, Z., & Ahmed, F.E. (2023). Optimization of Gelatine Synthesis from Lime Fleshed Hide Trim Solid Waste. Textile & Leather Review, 6, pp.233–251.
  6. Ahmed, F.E., Teshome, M.M., Wodag, A.F., Kassie, A.B., Tesfaye, T., Wondmagegn, K.A., Mwinyihija, M., Debesay, H., & Tesfaw, L.M. (2023). An Investigation of the Ethiopian Tanning Industry’s Competitiveness. Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association (JALCA), 118, pp.59–68.
  7. Teshome, Z., Ahmed, F.E., Tesfaye, T., Getachew, L., Wodag, A.F., & Bitew, M. (2022). Preparation of Sheepskin Unhairing Extracts from Locally Available Plants: Cleaner Leather Processing. Journal of Engineering, 2022, Article ID 6139674.
  8. Ahmed, F.E., Gelebo, G.G., & Gebre, B.M. (2022). Potential of Water Hyacinth Leaves Extract as a Leather Tanning Agent. Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association (JALCA), 117, pp.391–402.
  9. Ahmed, F.E., & Gideon, R.K. (2021). Development of Leather Cutting Board from Plastic Waste. Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association (JALCA), 116, pp.445–452.
  10. Ebabu, W., Hossain, M.I., El-Naggar, M.E., Kechi, A., Sharew, S., & Ahmed, F.E. (2022). Exploration of Functional Polymers for Cleaner Leather Industry. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, 32(1), pp.1–14.
  11. Ahmed, F.E., Wodag, A.F., Gelebo, G.G., & Gebre, B.M. (2022). Ethiopian Water Hyacinth Leaf Extract as a Potential Tannery Effluent Treatment Material. Journal of Engineering, 2022, Article ID 8783255.
  12. Ahmed, F.E. (2019). Design and Development of Appropriate Tyre Sandal Shoe: Case of Rural Peoples around Bahir Dar City. Global Scientific Journals, 7(2). ISSN 2320-9186.
  13. Ahmed, F.E., & Gebino, G. (2019). Use of moringa (moringa stenopetala) seed extract for removal of some anionic dyes (direct and reactive dyes) in textile wastewater. Global Scientific Journals, 7(2). ISSN 2320-9186.

Professional References

  • Dr. Addisu Ferede Senior Lecturer, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA | Email: addisiotex@gmail.com
  • Dr. Rotich K. Gideon Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering and Technology, South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), Kenya | Email: rotichgideon@yahoo.com
  • Dr. Md. Israil Hossain (Rafi) Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Manchester, UK | Email: israil.rafi.du@gmail.com