About us

Background

Hawassa University was designated as one of Ethiopia’s research universities by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 2020. Among its academic units, the Institute of Technology (IoT) is one of three institutes under Hawassa University. The current structure of HU-IoT consists of five faculties, encompassing 19 academic departments.

The Institute of Technology, currently serving over 5,000 students, was officially established in July 2009 through the upgrading of the former Faculty of Technology. However, the roots of the Institute trace back to 1976, with the founding of its oldest department—Agricultural Engineering and Technology—as part of the then Awassa College of Agriculture. Additional departments were introduced under the Faculty of Technology following the university’s establishment in 1997. Since then, HU-IoT has witnessed significant growth in staff, infrastructure, laboratories, academic programs, and community engagement.

The transformation of the institute was further accelerated by the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP), a national reform initiative aimed at restructuring faculties of technology into Institutes of Technology. This reform sought to enhance technology transfer, strengthen university-industry linkages, foster innovation, and equip graduates with strong engineering and entrepreneurial skills. It was during this period that the Faculty of Technology was renamed as the Institute of Technology (IoT).

Under its revised 2018 organizational structure, HU-IoT now operates five faculties offering 19 undergraduate and 19 postgraduate programs. The institute currently employs a total of 1,741 staff members, comprising 492 academic staff, 88 technical assistants, 1,143 administrative (support) staff, 18 health professionals, and 5 foreign nationals.