ACEWM Sends New Cohort of Ethiopian Scholars to Norway Through NORHED II Project

The Africa Center of Excellence for Water Management (ACEWM) at Addis Ababa University has once again demonstrated its leadership in fostering international academic excellence and research collaboration through the NORHED II Project.

This year, four Ethiopian students have been awarded prestigious NORSTIP scholarships to pursue master’s studies in Norway. Habtamu Philipos Petros and Fikiru Gurmu Bekele will enroll in Engineering, and Betselot Tamene Getachew will pursue Information Technology—all at Narvik. Desta Tifo Bonko will study Public Health at Tromsø.

These new scholars will join Ruta and Genet, two returning second-year students in Narvik. This brings the total number of Ethiopian NORSTIP scholars currently studying in Norway to six—three new and two continuing students in Narvik, and one new student in Tromsø.

The selection of this year’s cohort was conducted by ACEWM through a rigorous, merit-based nomination process, ensuring that only the most qualified and motivated candidates were put forward.

The Norwegian Scholarship and Training Program (NORSTIP) is designed to support students from selected partner countries, including Ethiopia, in their pursuit of higher education at Norwegian universities and colleges. By promoting student mobility, NORSTIP aims to contribute to economic development and welfare in partner countries. The program seeks to empower future leaders who will drive positive change and sustainable development in their home countries.

Professor Feleke Zewge, Director of ACEWM and national coordinator for the NORHED II project on the One Health Approach, has played a central role in facilitating the scholarship process and supporting the students throughout their academic journey.

In recognition of ACEWM’s efforts, Kunej Daehli, Senior Adviser at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, expressed appreciation: “We were once again impressed with the resumes of your candidates. Our thanks go to you for organizing the internal selection procedure and setting the students—and us—up for success.”

This milestone highlights ACEWM’s commitment to academic excellence, capacity building, and global collaboration in addressing critical challenges in engineering, public health, and technology for a better future.