DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION

Background 

Ethiopia has prepared a national development plan to transform the Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI) to the Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Led Industrialization economy. The current goal of a development plan is to make Ethiopia be a medium-income country. According to the evaluation of the GTP’s, to meet the planned target, the development of human resources is mandatory for adopting an existing technology and creating new technologies. It is because industrialization needs well-established infrastructure, technological advancement, skilled human power, and much investment. Evidence shows that the current prevailing economic growth will not be sustainable unless an all-rounded national technology hub will establish.

To achieve the goals of a national development plan, the government has been upgrading and establishing institutions. The main objective of  STI policies are:- Establishing and implementing a coordinated and integrated general governance framework for building STI capacity; Establish and implement an appropriate national Technology Capability Accumulation and Transfer (TeCAT) system; Promote research that geared towards technology learning and adaptation; Develop, promote and commercialize useful indigenous knowledge and technologies; Define the national science and technology landscape and strengthen linkages among the different actors in the national innovation system; Ensure implementation of STI activities in coordination with other economic and social development programs and plans, and create conducive environment to strengthen the role of the private sector in technology transfer activities sustainably.

To achieve and implement the above objectives Science and Technology Universities ASTU and AASTU are given a leading role and mandate. The two universities believe to be catalyzing industrialization by attracting talented students to innovation and technology. Moreover, these two universities expecting to produce capable, knowledgeable, and skilled human power who benchmark the existing technologies and invent new technologies by improving and launching their programs in both undergraduate and postgraduate.

ASTU has planted the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program in the School of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, by an international collaboration between Ethiopia and South Korea, specifically, between POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and ASTU.

Therefore, the MSE department wants to participate and contribute to the national policies and strategies by improving the undergraduate teaching-learning processes. The MSE program covers the science and engineering fields from the fundamental concepts to the advanced technology production processes by investigating structure-property correlations. Herein the properties are electrical, optical, magnetic, thermal, mechanical, and other detonative ones.

Therefore, this MSE curriculum focuses on the engineering materials such as metal, ceramic, polymer, semiconductor, and others, which play an essential role in the industrialization and advancement of the high technology industry. This MSE program is a multi-disciplinary field, by applying basic science knowledge (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, etc.)  to technology and engineering.

Vision and Mission  of ASTU

Vision

• ASTU aspires to be the first choice in Ethiopia and the premier center of excellence in applied science and technology in Africa by 2025
• Mission(M)

• Mission	Description
  M-1	Produce ethical and internationally competent graduates in applied science and technology through quality education.
  M-2	Conduct problem solving research.
  M-3	Provide demand driven community service.
  M-4	Serve as center for innovative knowledge and technology transfer for various industries.

  Rationale of the Program

  The MSE program has a potential to facilitate knowledge transfer within and among the institutions and industries. Thus, the rationale for launching the program is mainly:-

  • Increase the number of technology institutes in the country.
  • Increase in the number of students in the technology from year to year in the country.
  • Meet the demands of many materials industries.
  • Government’s policy shift from the Agricultural Development Industrialization (ADI) led to the STI-led industrialization, which results in the introduction of large industries.
  • To solve complex industrial problems and to make industries competent in global market.
  • The fact that local engineering industries demand high level of materials scientist and engineers, who are able to solve industrial challenges.
  • To produce potential professionals in materials science and engineering so as to keep the sustainability of the nation’s ongoing economic development.

  Ethiopia is in the process of transforming ADI-led industrialization to STI-led one. Consequently, materials and processes engineers are believed to make significant contribution  to realizing this transformation. However, Materials Science and Engineering profession is not yet adequately familiarized in the country. In the past three to four years, undergraduate program has been launched in our University and some others. However, there is a huge gap between the provision of such highly skilled multidisciplinary professionals and the demand of such personnel for the sustainable growth of economy in the country. Therefore, it is compelling that we should develop graduate program in Materials Science and Engineering, which should eventually reduce the scarcity of such professional in all areas and produce highly qualified professionals and researchers for the industry and research centers of the country.