International Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Higher Education Closes in Dire Dawa

Universities, industry, and European partners examine practice-oriented UAS reform, immersive learning, and Learning Factory models

DIRE DAWA, Ethiopia — 5 November 2025 — Dire Dawa University and the MaDE-for-UASs consortium today closed the international conference “The Future for Creativity and Innovation in Higher Education in Ethiopia,” a two-day convening (4–5 November 2025) that brought universities, industry leaders, and partners from Ethiopia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Djibouti, and the wider region into dialogue on how applied higher education can close the gap between academic content and workplace skills.

MaDE dual centres and the National Resonance Group (launched 28 October 2025) featured in programme content. European partners shared Learning Factory-style practice models.

Conference essentials

Theme. “The Future for Creativity and Innovation in Higher Education in Ethiopia.”
Dates & venue. 4–5 November 2025, Dire Dawa University.
Core message. Close the content–skills gap through collaboration, innovation, and experiential learning.

About MaDE-for-UASs

MaDE-for-UASs (Methodology and Didactic Education for Universities of Applied Sciences) is a three-year (2024–2027) capacity-building action co-funded by the European Union under Erasmus+ CBHE, Grant Agreement No. 101179337. Coordinated by Kotebe University of Education with Dire Dawa University as co-coordinator, the consortium unites Ethiopian implementing partners and European universities of applied sciences (Hochschule Heilbronn, TH OWL, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano). The project modernises applied-science teaching through immersive didactics, dual national centres, open tools, a master-trainer cascade, and the National Resonance Group. Headline targets include 50,000+ students, about 3,000 academic staff, five or more practice-oriented courses, and about 60 master trainers.

Media contacts

Project Secretariat / Communications

MaDE-for-UASs · Kotebe University of Education (Coordinator)

Phone: +251 911 661514

madeeu@kue.edu.et

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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project MaDE-for-UASs · Grant Agreement No. 101179337.