Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — As part of its ongoing strategy to strengthen international engagement and global academic reputation, Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia (UAI) conducted an academic meeting with Addis Ababa University (AAU) on 30 January 2026. Addis Ababa University is widely recognized as the oldest university in Ethiopia and one of the leading universities in East Africa, with a strong and well-established performance in environmental science and sustainability-related disciplines. Across several international and regional university rankings, AAU is consistently recognized as a reference institution in East Africa, particularly in the fields of environmental and natural sciences.
The meeting took place at the Center for Environmental Science (CES), College of Natural and Computational Sciences, AAU. The UAI delegation was represented by Ir. Hidayat Yorianta Sasaerila, M.Sc., Ph.D., Director of Development and Information Technology of UAI, and was warmly received by Prof. Teshome Soromessa together with Dr. Hanna Habtemariam, Chairwoman of the Center for Environmental Science. In addition to in-depth academic discussions, the visit included tours of several research sites and a review of key research outputs, highlighting AAU’s strong tradition in applied environmental research and its contributions to sustainable development in Ethiopia and the East African region.
Discussions focused on opportunities for research and academic collaboration relevant to the development of UAI’s Master’s Program in Natural Resource Management (MPSDA). One of the main themes explored was agroforestry research in coffee plantation systems, approached through a comparative perspective between Ethiopia and Indonesia. This theme was considered highly strategic, as it integrates ecological sustainability, climate change adaptation, food security, and community-based resource management.
As an outcome of the meeting, both institutions agreed to proceed with the preparation of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia and the Center for Environmental Science, Addis Ababa University. The proposed collaboration is expected to encompass joint research activities, faculty and student exchanges, and international scientific publications.
Through collaboration with a highly reputable institution such as Addis Ababa University, UAI reaffirms its commitment to becoming a globally connected, research-oriented university. This partnership is envisioned as a foundation for long-term academic cooperation, strengthening UAI’s role in advancing knowledge and practice in sustainable natural resource management at the international level.
