MaDE-for-UASs Consortium
MaDE-for-UASs Concludes Practical VR/AR Training for University Lecturers at Dire Dawa University
Four-day intensive at the MaDE-Technology Center ends with project pitches, presidential certificates, and nationwide cascade commitments
DIRE DAWA, Ethiopia — 7 August 2026 — The European Union co-funded MaDE-for-UASs project today concluded a landmark four-day Practical Training for University Lecturers on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR), hosted at the MaDE-Technology Center of Dire Dawa University and delivered with industry partner Guzo Technologies under Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Grant Agreement No. 101179337.
From 4 to 7 August 2026, lecturers drawn from partner Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) moved from foundations to classroom application. The programme covered VR/AR/XR principles, Unity XR workflows, civil and electromechanical process simulations, instructional design for immersive assets, classroom facilitation, and collaborative project pitches.
Closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Ubah Ahmed, President of Dire Dawa University. Official certificates were issued by the University President. Hana Getachew, MaDE co-coordinator at DDU, underlined institutional support for cascade.
At a glance
- What. Practical VR/AR/XR Training—foundations, Unity XR, sector simulations, instructional design, pitches, and certification.
- When & where. 4–7 August 2026, MaDE-Technology Center, Dire Dawa University.
- Who. Partner UAS lecturers; DDU leadership; MaDE consortium; Guzo Technologies.
- Why it matters. Builds cascade capacity so immersive teaching becomes institutional practice.
- Funding. Co-funded by the European Union under Erasmus+ CBHE, GA 101179337.
MaDE-for-UASs should help raise teaching standards across Ethiopia’s applied science universities. Participants must cascade what they have learned so colleagues and students on every campus benefit.
— Dr. Ubah Ahmed, President, Dire Dawa University
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
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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.