Two of the most outstanding Jimma University students were given ETMA honors during its 4th annual awards ceremony and organizers say they hope to drive more competition among university students in the upcoming academic year.
 
The Ethiopia Tadesse Memorial Award (ETMA) for the 2010/09 academic year went to Fekremariam Cherinet Gemberu and Adane Kassa Woemago of the Engineering department. The two students were given certificates, a total of $4,000 cash and advanced textbook in their fields of interest. Robera Daba and Dawit Kebede, the ETMA winners from the previous year, were from JU's mechanical engineering department.


The awards ceremony was attended by ETMA's Mr. Bulcha Debosie, whose family established the initiative as a memorial to the late Mrs. Ethiopia Tadesse. In addition to engineering students, the university's vice president, department and other officials also attended the ceremony.

ETMA winner Fekremaryam plans to continue work on 3D graphics and with engineering design firms while Adane said he is interested in modern automative technology. In recent years, Ethiopia has began its first car assembly plant and also became the second African country to launch an electric car. A company in Mojo town of Oromia is currently assembling cars named after "Abay", "Awash," "Tekeze" and "Shebelle" of the major Ethiopian rivers that flow into the Amhara, Oromia, Afar, Tigray and Somali regional states. The two ETMA winners said they will work harder to advance in their careers and contribute to the economic betterment of their country and people.

A university newsletter called ETMA, "the most coveted award in Jimma University" and Bulcha said ETMA hopes to motivate and encourage more students as well as increase competition.

RELATED LINKS

- ETMF/ETMA Website