External Relations and Partnerships team
- Memorandum of Understandings/Agreements (MoU)
OERPC is tasked by the University to facilitate the signing of memorandum of understandings and/ or agreements with partners external to the University. Initiations for such binding agreements can, however, come from any unit in the university including OERPC itself. Also, units initiating the agreement will be the sole owners of the collaboration. OERPC is just a facilitating unit with the aim of standardizing the university’s external relations and keeping track of all the collaborations. Such organized record of the university’s collaborations makes it easier to look for other strategic partnerships in neglected areas of interests. On top of that, all agreements with external partners should only be signed by the University President.
Hence, the following are the steps to follow to sign memorandum of understanding and or agreement with external parties.
- Meet in person with the Director of OERPC with the details of the MoU.
- Draft the MoU together with the collaborating partner and submit it to OERPC.
- OERPC submits the draft MoU to the University Legal Office for legal reviews.
- Follow up with the University Legal Office
- Incorporate comments from the University Legal Office and OERPC in collaboration with the signing partner and submit the final version to OERPC for signature and also put your initial signature on each page of the revised version of the MOU.
It is appreciated if signing partners could attend the meeting. Also, meetings can be changed with telephone or email correspondences depending on the issue at hand and locations of partners.
OERPC provides sample MoU templates. MoU/A can be first signed by the external partners or otherwise if they are abroad. However, if partners are in Ethiopia and want to have a signing event with the University President, further communications with OERPC and Office of the President is required.