Dr. Yekunoamlak received his PhD in Human Resource and Organisational Development from the University of Klagenfurt in 2006 with a dissertation entitled "Networking between Vocational Training and Employment in Ethiopia" under the supervision of the late Prof. Heijo Rieckmann and Prof. Franz Ofner.
After completing his doctoral studies, he has been involved in teaching, consultancy and research at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is also involved in several community-based research and international consultancy projects. He was the coordinator of the PhD programme in the College of Education and Behavioural Studies and served as the Head of the Department of Educational Planning and Management. Dr. Yekunoamlak played a key role in initiating partnership projects, establishing new postgraduate programmes (MA & PhD), revising existing curricula, conducting needs assessments and launching programmes. He was also able to mobilise professors from American, European and African universities for teaching and supervisory support in the PhD programme. Such cooperation enhanced educational and cultural exchange between partner universities in the Global South and North.
In terms of international experience, Dr Yekunoamlak has had the opportunity to present papers and participate in various short term trainings and seminars abroad. He has participated in educational visits at the State University of Chicago, USA, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China and Makerere University, Uganda. He is also involved in international research and consultancy projects. Recently, in September 2023, together with Ethiopian team members, he presented the draft research report of the KoEF project on Employability and Lifelong Learning in Technical and Vocational Professions: A Joint Partnership Research Project in Austria and Ethiopia at the University of Klagenfurt.
Current Projects and Future Collaborations
All these experiences and skills from abroad and at home led Dr Yekunoamlak to work on the link between education and employment, and to be willing to share his experiences. The partners of the current collaborative research project, Dr. Yekunoamlak Alemu and Dr. Monika Kastner, met at the University of Klagenfurt in 2015 when Dr. Yekunoamlak came to the University of Klagenfurt on the recommendation of Prof Erich Schwarz through an OeAD programme - Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant for Postdoc research on Occupational Competency Assessment in TVET. During his research stay at the University of Klagenfurt, Dr. Yekunoamlak and Dr. Monika Kastner agreed to initiate a partnership between the two sister institutions and applied successfully within the Cooperative Development Research programme (KOEF 11/2019) funded by the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science & Research (BMBWF) and managed by the OeAD.
The existing partnership between the two sister institutes is related to Cooperation Development Research entitled "Employability & Lifelong Learning in Technical & Vocational Professions: A Joint Partnership Research Project in Austria & Ethiopia". The research project aimed to examine SDG Goal 4, "Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning", by focusing on research on qualification frameworks with educational outcomes and employability.
Field research was conducted in Ethiopia, while study visits were carried out in Austria. Currently, the team that consists of Monika Kastner and Peter Schlögl (University of Klagenfurt) and Yekunoamlak Alemu Woldeyohanis, Befekadu Zeleke Kidane and Demoze Degefa Alemu (Addis Ababa University) is in the final stages of reporting and submitting the research project.
The partnership has also been instrumental in developing friendship and strengthening cultural ties. Therefore, the Ethiopian-Austrian team appreciates the OeAD for funding the research. Based on the research gap in cooperation development and experience, the Ethiopian and Austrian partners applied for the 10th call of APPEAR-2023 Academic Partnership with the thematic area of Greening TVET to develop capacity and ensure sustainability.
Publications
Yekunoamlak, A. (2007). Challenges and Prospects of Performance-Based Management in the Public Sector of Ethiopia. A Paper Presented at the National Conference of Ethiopian Civil Service College, Published Proceedings.
Yekunoamlak, A. (2023). Cooperative Training as a Means of School to Work Transition in Addis Ababa. International Journal of Vocational Education & Training Research, 9(2): 25-32
Yekunoamlak, A. (2023). Internationalization Experiences of Ethiopian Higher Education in the Pandemic Era. Journal of Hope Enterprise University College, 1(1).
Yekunoamlak, A. (2023). Harnessing Employability Skills in Higher Education Programs of Post- Pandemic Africa. A Paper Presented at the International Conference of St. Mary University.
Mäkinen, M., Yekunoamlak, A. & Azmera, K. (2019). Towards Inclusive Vocational Education Development Project as a Change Agent. Ammatillinenkoulutusjayhteiskunta, (Vocational Education & Society), 21(3): 35-45.