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“Ethiopian Airlines is among the largest airlines in the world, so the country has a strong interest in training new professionals for this sector,” explained Martin Melichar, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at UWB, justifying one of the focus areas of the EthioTech project, in which two faculties and a research center of UWB are involved.

Luděk Hynčík, Deputy Director of the NTC for International Cooperation, added that besides aerospace engineering, there are opportunities for joint development in the field of biomechanics—specifically in the prevention of birth injuries. Jimma University is already equipped with the necessary infrastructure, which makes it an ideal candidate for implementing UWB’s computational approaches.

“Africa has enormous potential in higher education and research. The goal of this project is to share modern knowledge in the field of mechanical engineering and Industry 5.0 with our colleagues in Ethiopia. Industry 5.0 is no longer purely about automation—it reintegrates the human factor into the production process. Our experts will take part in educating both students and academic staff, through online lectures as well as on-site activities in Jimma,” continued Martin Melichar. UWB has long-term collaborations with many African universities—several of them located in Ethiopia.

Jan Záhořík, the project coordinator from the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies at UWB’s Faculty of Philosophy, stated: “Jimma University has been our partner university for over ten years and ranks among the top institutions on the Ethiopian academic map.” So far, the cooperation has focused mainly on the social sciences—especially anthropology and history. “Now, we want to expand this to include technical fields, particularly mechanical engineering, which is currently one of the key priorities for the future development of Ethiopian higher education. This goal also aligns with the Ethiopian government’s strategy to increase the number of engineers to boost competencies in the national economy and infrastructure. The project will also strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration at UWB,” Záhořík clarified.

In May, a team from UWB completed its first one-week visit to Jimma, where they led professional lectures and workshops. In the fall, the rector of Jimma University will visit Plzeň, accompanied by the deans of three faculties, who will be responsible for disseminating the acquired know-how. During this meeting, representatives from both institutions will also develop a plan for a training session scheduled for November in Jimma, aimed at enhancing the quality of the university’s curriculum. “At UWB, we will analyze selected study programs from Jimma and propose which courses should be revised, how they should be taught, and where exactly we can support their instruction,” said Luděk Hynčík, noting that the training will focus mainly on courses related to mechanical engineering and biomechanics.

The one-year EthioTech project is funded by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Program for Capacity Building in Higher Education in Developing Countries.