Students from the FST will help accredit laboratories at a university in Ethiopia

Their task was to prepare a case study, evaluate the practical equipment in laboratories used to educate future mechanical engineers, identify shortcomings, and propose solutions. This assignment was carried out by students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Jimma University.

A lack of modern technologies and certain safety risks were among the issues identified. While in East African Ethiopia, students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FME) encountered several shortcomings and proposed solutions. The faculty established closer cooperation with Jimma University last year through the Ethiotech project, in which it collaborated with the Faculty of Arts and the NTC research centre to help develop curricula for aerospace engineering education. This year, students contributed to preparing documents for the international accreditation of Ethiopian laboratories.

“We found that the equipment is generally sufficient and corresponds to the study programmes. However, they lack modern technologies such as CNC machines and CAD/CAM software for automated control of machine tools. To improve workshop organisation, we recommended the 5S method focused on efficiency, cleanliness, and discipline. Greater attention will also need to be paid to safety, including the extraction of fumes during welding,” summarised Simona Svozilová, a doctoral student at FME. She travelled to Ethiopia during the summer semester together with master’s students Jan Mejta and Lukáš Kolafa.

At the university laboratories in Jimma, the trio from FME assessed, for example, testing and measuring equipment, mechanical and dynamic machines, machine tools, forming and welding technologies, foundry equipment, 3D printers, a wind tunnel, and models of internal combustion engines. “We received a list of equipment in advance. On site, we inspected everything and prepared a detailed report on the teaching equipment intended for developing practical skills in manufacturing engineering among undergraduate mechanical engineering students,” Simona explained.

At the end of their internship, the students presented their report. They described what works and what does not, and based on their experience from studies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia, they recommended how their Ethiopian colleagues could best utilise their equipment. They also suggested strengthening cooperation with industry, providing regular training for technical staff, maintaining documentation on the use of individual equipment, and supporting student internships. The new contacts established by FME students in Ethiopia may serve as a foundation for further cooperation between the universities.