Greetings from the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It is with great excitement that I send you this warm Holiday wishes form EGST. At this joyous time of the year, we are grateful for our partnership with you over the years. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017!
The year 2016 has been a remarkable year for EGST in many ways. Just to mention some of the major highlights:
- It is the year of leadership transition when I took the role of Director’s position in a positive process and the former Director went for a Sabbatical. This was both exciting and challenging moments of the year.
- The EGST five year strategic plan for the period 2016-2020 was also kicked off in this year and we are already progressing with its implementations. The six pillars of the revised EGST Strategy focuses on academic program development ; research excellence; community engagement ; leadership and staff development; financial sustainability and systems and infrastructure enhancement.
- Our existing five academic programs are progressing well with a major curriculum review ready for implementation while we are already prepared to launch EGST PhD program in partnership with Free University of Amsterdam (VUA), Netherlands. Other new programs are also under deliberation.
- EGST Research Office is taking an institutional shape when we have already progressed with our major research projects on ‘Theology-Development Nexus’ under completion and another series on ‘Theology -Environmental Stewardship Nexus’ research project in progress. Other research outputs by individual faculty members and graduates have enhanced our institutional repository. Our dissemination of the research outputs is also improving.
- In our involvement with communities, EGST has progressed with different projects focusing on Maternal and New Born Child Health Projects; Gender,
Health and Theology training and empowerment projects; environmental stewardship engagements; support for the juvenile delinquency; social protection engagements and related issues. - Two of the first phase faculty development plan candidates are nearly completing their PhD studies and two of the second phase female faculty candidates Meron Tekleberhan and Sofanit Tamene left for their doctoral studies to the UK in November 2016. Another 2 female candidates are also under preparations.
- EGST awarded degrees for 68 graduates in September in its five programs,
- The ICT infrastructure enhancement, library development , lecture rooms automation and related inputs that support the teaching-learning-research capacity has also progressed significantly.
These are but only some of the highlights of the major achievements made in the year which are made possible through our effective partnership with you.
The management of EGST appreciates that you have been a major part in the achievements and successes that God has granted to EGST over the year. We would like to use this opportunity to extend our gratitude and wish you a pleasant Holiday season.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017!
Misgana Mathewos, PhD
EGST Director
Addis Ababa
