Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Visits Texas Tech

Demeke Mekonnen NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 19, 2013
CONTACT: Megan Ketterer, megan.ketterer@ttu.edu
(806) 742-2136

Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, who also serves as the minister of education, will visit Texas Tech University April 21-24 with officials from 13 Ethiopian universities.

As the second ranking member of Ethiopian government, the deputy prime minister is one of the highest ranking foreign visitors to come to Lubbock.

Accompanying Mekonnen will be Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S. Girma Birru and Gezahgen Kebede, the Ethiopian honorary consul in Houston. The U.S. Department of State is a sponsor of the visit.

Ethiopia is interested in exploring partnership opportunities with Texas Tech. In the past decade, the country expanded its university system from three to 21 institutions. The nation is home to about 91 million people and spends more than 25 percent of its budget on education – one of the highest rates in the world.

Because of Ethiopia’s university expansion, many of its university faculty and researchers hold bachelors’ degrees. The nation is seeking U.S. partners to aid in upgrading their undergraduate degrees to master’s and doctoral degrees.

Ethiopian officials are meeting with Texas Tech because the nation’s higher education programs are focusing on sciences, math, engineering, technology and agriculture.

While in Lubbock, Ethiopian officials will meet with Texas Tech administration and colleges to explore possibilities for collaboration. In addition, the delegation will visit the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Several representatives U.S. universities will be in Lubbock during the visit.

Media availability will be 4 p.m. Monday (April 22) at a reception for the delegation at the Ranching Heritage Center, located at 3121 Fourth St.

Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu.

CONTACT: Tibor Nagy, Vice Provost for International Affairs, Administration, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-2184, or tibor.nagy@ttu.edu.