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1. Jimma University, Ethiopia
Renowned as a national pioneer in community-based education, Jimma University is
Ethiopia’s first innovative Community Oriented Practical Education (COPE) educational
institution of higher learning. COPE institutions are recognized by the Ministry of
Education as excelling in civic engagement as a key academic activity. The university is
located 335 kilometers south west of Addis Ababa at Jimma Town. The university is
making every endeavor to address societal needs and promote holistic and sustainable
development in the country.
Although the Ethiopian government has not formally embraced civic engagement within
the higher education policy framework, the efforts by the university have led to the
Ministry of Education recognizing the program. This in turn has smoothed the progress of
other institutions of higher learning to adapt part of the university’s community-based
education policy in their own localities.
Approach to civic engagement
Civic education at the university centers on community-based education, which is the
core philosophy of the university. Although the university started and has deeply
entrenched civic engagement within the field of health, the university is now working
toward making community-based education the main strategy for linking the university
and the community. It has also developed training programs for members from
nongovernmental organizations.
The strategy is mandatory in all faculties and is implemented through three programs: the
Community-based Training Program, the Team Training Program, and the Student
Research Program.
The Community-based Training Program runs from the beginning to the end of the
students’ academic training. It is a holistic (integrated), multiphased, university-wide
program that orients students to the different aspects of community service and
development.
The Team Training Program is carried out during the final year of study. It targets only
communities in the vicinity of the university. This program is facilitated by the faculty of
Public Health, and students engage community members in research-oriented activities
toward solving community health problems. The focus is on primary health care.
The Student Research Program is aimed at enhancing the students’ problem-solving
skills. It is a requirement for final year medical students and students in the post basic
degree program. During this period they carry out an independent research project which
is community-based, scientifically and ethically acceptable, and action oriented.

2. Resources
The program receives some funding from external agencies such as the governments of
Ireland and Ethiopia. Faculty research in the program is supported annually by the
Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission as well as the Ethiopian Agricultural
Research Organization.
Within the university’s operating budget, resources for civic engagement activities are
centrally allocated for the three different programs: Community-based Training, Team
Training, and Student Research.
Challenges
Financial support for civic engagement is diminishing at the university. This is especially
because of the phasing out of the grant from the government of Ireland, which was one of
the institution’s major funding partners. As a result, logistical constraints such as
transportation have crept in, thus impeding the program’s implementation. The university
is also faced with the ongoing challenge of getting ‘buy in’ from the program’s major
stakeholders such as students and faculty, as well as the country’s political leadership.
Conclusion
The distinctive strength of the university is its long and rich history of a
multidisciplinary, participatory approach to community development. Civic engagement
activities at the university are viewed not as a peripheral or casual experience, but as
standard and integral. They are also seen as part of a continuing education process.
Student involvement with communities during their training is ‘real work’ that relates to
their educational experience and also forms part of the requirements for obtaining a
degree or diploma.
Community-based Training Program
The Community-based Training Program is an integrated institutional program that runs
in phases from the first year to graduation. Built into it is a regular follow-up program. It
involves students, faculty, commerce and industry, civic leaders, the communities within
a 50 kilometer radius, and government departments responsible for health, education,
agriculture, water and sanitation, and technology.
The multiphased program has specifically defined educational objectives for each phase.
During each phase, students working in groups of 10 to 12 members are assigned to
urban, semi urban or rural communities with an approximate population of 600 to10,000.
At the end of the program students are expected to:
 Define demographic, socioeconomic, political and environmental aspects of a given
community;

3.  Be able to make a community diagnosis and draw up a sound action plan, which
would enable them to suggest appropriate interventions;
 Use the concept of community participation and a multisectoral approach to organize
intervention measures; and
 Plan and conduct problem-oriented and community-based research.
The program has enabled the university to train students in a wide variety of fields within
the community setting. It has promoted an integrated, holistic approach in addressing
societal problems. The university has also managed to embed the learning culture that
uses the community extensively as a learning environment, in which not only students but
also teachers, members of the community, and representatives of other sectors are
actively engaged throughout the educational experience.
At a glance
Name of institution Jimma University
Country Ethiopia
Type of institution Public
Total number of undergraduate students in
2005
17,000
Total number of graduate students in 2005 37
Extent of students participating in civic
engagement activities
75-100%
Extent of faculty participating in civic
engagement activities
75-100%
National, regional and international
affiliations
 The Network of Community
Partnership for Health through
Innovative Education, Service, and
Research