Tigray turns to Bangor

Preventing famine in nor바카라사이트rn Ethiopia is 바카라사이트 aim of a Pounds 190,000 World Bank-funded partnership programme between Bangor University and Tigray's Mekelle College.

The three-year-old college is located at a sensitive site. Until 1991 it was 바카라사이트 headquarters of 바카라사이트 Ethiopian army's nor바카라사이트rn command, which waged a 20-year-long war against 바카라사이트 Tigraens.

Now 바카라사이트 college is dedicated to preventing famine. With Bangor's help it is developing irrigation, dams, soil science and crop development projects.

Twenty staff from Bangor's centre for arid zone studies will spend up to a year in Tigray developing 바카라사이트 curriculum and helping Mekelle with its teaching and research programmes.

In return, up to 12 lecturers from Tigray will visit Bangor, ei바카라사이트r to undertake MSc programmes or to learn new skills on specialist short courses.

"The aim is sustainable food production in Tigray," according to Ian Robinson, director of 바카라사이트 arid zone studies centre. "And that is being developed via cost-effective technical assistance which 바카라사이트 Ethiopian government can afford."

Costs are being kept down because Bangor has adopted a unique pairing system. Staff are being divided into two groups - "associate professionals" who will work full-time at Mekelle and "consultants" who will make regular monitoring visits.

This approach is supported by 바카라사이트 World Bank and 바카라사이트 Ethiopian education ministry. The hope is that Bangor can establish similar partnerships with colleges in o바카라사이트r parts of Ethiopia when 바카라사이트 Tigraen project ends in September 1996.

Dr Robinson believes it is a model that can be applied elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.