Language, Culture and Indigenous Knowledge Center
Kamil Nuredin Awel

Contact Information:
Phone: +251 910 65 13 33
Address:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

                         Objectives/Goals

1. Preservation and Promotion

Ø  To preserve, document, and promote local languages, cultures, and indigenous knowledge systems, especially those of the Gurage people and surrounding communities.

2. Research and Innovation

Ø  To serve as a hub for interdisciplinary research on indigenous knowledge systems, traditional practices, and cultural heritage.

3. Curriculum Integration

Ø  To integrate indigenous knowledge and languages into university curricula, research, and community engagement programs.

4. Cultural Exchange and Awareness

Ø  To foster cultural awareness and intercultural dialogue within the university and the broader community through exhibitions, events, and publications.

5. Community Engagement and Development

Ø  To collaborate with local communities, elders, and knowledge holders in the documentation and transmission of indigenous knowledge for sustainable development.

6. Policy and Advocacy

Ø  To contribute to the development of national and regional policies related to the protection and utilization of indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership

Ø  Develop and implement the center’s strategic plan in alignment with the university’s vision and mission.

Ø  Lead initiatives to identify, document, and archive indigenous languages, oral traditions, rituals, folklore, and medicinal practices.

2. Research Coordination

Ø  Facilitate interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with university departments and external stakeholders.

Ø  Oversee the publication of academic journals, research reports, and monographs related to language, culture, and indigenous knowledge.

3. Community Collaboration

Ø  Establish partnerships with local communities, elders, cultural institutions, and NGOs.

Ø  Organize fieldwork activities, cultural festivals, and workshops that promote traditional knowledge and practices.

4. Capacity Building

Ø  Organize training for students, faculty, and community members in language preservation techniques and ethnographic methods.

Ø  Mentor young researchers and interns interested in indigenous knowledge systems.

5. Documentation and Archiving

Ø  Supervise the development of digital and physical archives for collected materials.

Ø  Ensure ethical and culturally sensitive approaches to data collection and storage.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

Ø  Develop mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the center’s programs and impact.

Ø  Prepare periodic reports for the university’s top management and relevant government bodies.

7. Resource Mobilization

Ø  Identify and secure funding opportunities from governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Ø  Manage budgets, grants, and resource allocations for center activities.

8. Cultural Representation

Ø  Represent the center at national and international conferences, forums, and cultural events.

Ø  Advocate for the recognition and appreciation of local heritage at policy and academic platforms.