The College of Health Sciences, AAU hosted 2nd MEPI Annual Conference at Dreamland Hotel, Bishoftu. Themed ‘AAU MEPI Junior Scholars: generating evidence for Practice’ the conference lasted three days, Nov 12-14, 2018.

The conference is hoped to provide opportunities for both junior and mentor staff as a process of new social and scientific network, access to multiple researchers and knowledge sharing or professional development.

Scholars drawn from Addis Ababa University and Emory University were in attendance. 24 scientific papers on the area of HIV/AIDS and related infections, Non -Communicable diseases, Maternal and Child Health and Mental Health were presented during the conference.

On day three of the conference, the college also launched program called Health-Professional, Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI), project which the College along with international partners-Emory University and University of Alabama, Birmingham and local partners- Wolaita Sodo and Dilla University received a grant of $3.5 plus recently.

In interview Prof. Miliard Derbew, Principal Investigator of MEPI and HEPI projects highlighted that research enhance innovative medical education models; develops strategies that enable graduating health professional students to remain in their work place to practice; increase the quantity and retention of health professionals through promotion.

Such conference, said Prof. Miliard, is of tremendous advantage to share experience among junior and senior professionals. “It is a promising means of developing knowledge translation capacity. Furthermore the benefits of academic medicine mentorship include grant capture, peer-reviewed publications, faster academic promotion, and higher career satisfaction,” said Prof. Miliard.

 Speaking on the launching program Zerihun Woldu (Prof.), Research Director and Delegate, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer of AAU, noted that research leads to discovering, elucidating, and evaluating new ideas, knowledge and technologies building organizational and institutional capacities that are essential in driving the future of society and humanity. “The research and technology transfer efforts in College of Health Sciences balances the vision of Addis Ababa University. The research office of the Addis Ababa University appreciates the commitment of the college and is ready to support the college in all its capacity with the hope that it will transcend the immediate needs of the college and play a role model to motivate other colleges to strive for a similar self actualization and perpetual progress,” said Prof. Zerihun.

Obtained from the National Institute of Health, HEPI program envisages building capacity at the consortium of local universities in areas of multidisciplinary community based team training, research training and mentorship. It will also build institution’s infrastructure for administering and supporting international research project.