In his opening remarks, Asmare Melesse (PhD), President of Debre Berhan University, expressed his appreciation to DEMERA and its team for providing the resources, including laptops and digital learning platforms, and for creating valuable training opportunities for DBU students. He emphasized that the initiative will strengthen students' digital competencies and improve their competitiveness in the rapidly evolving technology sector.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Yettimegne Kebede, Co-founder and Chairwoman of the DEMERA Digital Skills Training Program, introduced the organization and highlighted its vision, mission, and strategic objectives. DEMERA, established in 2021 by Ethiopian ICT professionals in Europe and Ethiopia, it aims to reduce digital inequality, build digital capacity, and expand career opportunities for Ethiopian youth. She also presented DEMERA's growing network of partners, which includes Wello University (Kombolcha Institute of Technology), Addis Ababa University, Bahir Dar University, the University of Gondar, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), and global technology partners such as Microsoft. According to her, DEMERA plans to train 2,000 students in three years, with particular emphasis on increasing female participation in digital skills development.
During the program's kickoff session, Bethel Geremew (PhD), Director of the International Relations and Partnership Directorate at Debre Berhan University, presented an overview of the University, highlighting its academic strengths, research priorities, and thematic areas for strategic collaboration. She noted that the partnership between DBU and DEMERA was formalized weeks ago through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing students' digital and information technology skills. As part of this collaboration, DEMERA has donated 20 laptops and other relevant IT tools to support the training program. Bethel Geremew (PhD), encouraged participants to complete the training successfully, emphasizing that their achievements will pave the way for future groups of students to benefit from similar opportunities.
DEMERA team members Mekonnen Ayele and Eskindir provided participants with an overview of the training structure, learning expectations, and practical activities. Mekonnen demonstrated the digital learning platform and explained how participants would access learning materials, submit assignments, and monitor their progress. Also, he discussed the training program covers a wide range of in-demand digital competencies, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, modern workplace technologies, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Data Science, and Microsoft 365.
He stressed that personal commitment, active participation, and peer-to-peer mentorship would be key to the success of the program. Eskindir, DEMERA's representative in Ethiopia, highlighted the alignment of the initiative with Ethiopia's Digital Economy Strategy 2030 and the national Five Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative, underscoring the program's contribution to the country's digital transformation agenda.
In his closing remarks, Asmare Melesse (PhD) reaffirmed the University's commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the training program. He noted that Debre Berhan University has invested significant resources and institutional support to make the initiative successful and expressed confidence that participants would complete the program with dedication and excellence.
He further expressed his hope for expanding the partnership with DEMERA to provide similar digital skills training opportunities for university staff and to strengthen collaboration in other areas of mutual interest.
