The Et(hiopia)-D(jibouti) F(emales) a(t) M(akerspace) is a project idea that has been developed by female graduates from the Summer School for Female Researcher (SSFR) 2021 together with female UAS leaders, who graduated from the Ethiopian Higher Education Leadership Programme (EtHELP). The Djibouti Partners are partners from joint research and academic projects with Dire Dawa University (coordinator of this proposal). The Ethiopian Project partners together with the Djibouti Project partners intend to support their governments in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) in its guiding principles as well as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) objectives. Above all, the Ethiopian and Djibouti female EtD-FaM initiators intend to set up a network to harmonise their work in their contribution to the SDGs, CESA and COMESA in order to empower female lecturers, researchers, entrepreneurs and students in their organisations.

The EtD-FaM-Project partners are not directly involved in the SDGs, CESA and COMESA activities but are very much aware about the importance of Ethiopia’s and Djibouti’s contributions that they get into the position to contribute and to create the Ethiopian and Djibouti stand in these organisations from the female’s point of view. Neither the Ethiopian nor the Djibouti participants have experience in makerspace activities, the Ethiopian and Djibouti partners have approached the University of Applied Sciences Heilbronn (Germany) with its vast experience in Africa, the Free University Bolzano (Italy) with its different forms of makerspaces for researchers, students and citizens as well as Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria) with its very general approach for the makerspace.

The 5 Ethiopian UAS represent the disciplines business & economics, agriculture, civil engineering, veterinary medicine and Computer Science. The UoD as a comprehensive university with different faculties will establish a makerspace suitable for a comprehensive university. The makerspaces should become models replicable to other faculties and universities.

The consortium is composed of European key players in the field of makerspaces and the Ethiopian UASs together with the University of Djibouti which are expressing the importance of hands-on experience to female lecturers and students.

The Consortium consists of:

European Partners

  1. Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences/HHN, Germany
  2. Carinthia University of Applied Sciences/CUAS, Austria
  3. Free University Bolzano/UBZ, Italy

African partners :

  1. Dire Dawa University (DDU)
  2. Arsi University (ARU)
  3. Semera University (SMU)
  4. Wollo University (WLU)
  5. Wollega University (WGU)
  6. The University of Djibouti (UoD)

Associated Partners

  1. Ministry of Education of the FDR of Ethiopia (MoE)
  2. MOHAS Consultancy Service (MCS)
  3. Ambo University of Applied Sciences (AMU)
  4. Dilla University of Applied Sciences (DLU)
  5. Wolkite University of Applied Science (WKU)
  6. German International Cooperation (GIZ)