Bahir Dar Institute of Technology

Dr. Seid Muhie Conducts Academic Discourse on Responsible Generative AI Use at Bahir Dar University November 2, 2026 / Bahir Dar, ISC/BiT] ============================== Dr. Seid Muhie, Technical Lead of the Hub of Computing and Data Science (HCDS) at the University of Hamburg, Germany, conducted an academic discourse themed "Responsible use of generative AI in academic work" at the Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT). The high-level discussion brought together Bahir Dar University President Dr. Mengesha Ayene, vice presidents, scientific directors, faculty deans, and invited faculty members to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching, research, publication, and university administration. Laying the Groundwork for a New AI Research Center Opening the event, Dr. Amare Kassaw, Academic Affairs Deputy Scientific Director of BiT, highlighted the strategic timing of the discussion. He announced that the BiT AI Research Center will officially be established and operational in the near future, noting that discourses like this serve as vital inputs for the center's launch. Embracing the Opportunities and Addressing Gaps In his opening remarks, Bahir Dar University President Dr. Mengesha Ayene candidly noted that the institution has yet to fully exploit the vast capabilities of AI to optimize its teaching-learning processes, research, publications, and innovation projects. He described Dr. Seid’s presentation as an "eye-opener" that clearly bridges existing operational gaps and emphasized the urgent need to host continuous capacity-building programs to enhance AI literacy across the university. The Four Pillars of Responsible AI Use During his main address, Dr. Seid Muhie pointed out that Africa still faces a significant gap in AI adoption and utilization, calling for collective action to overcome this hurdle. He strongly advocated for the ethical integration of technology in academia, outlining four fundamental duties for every use of generative AI: Verify: Check the accuracy and validity of AI-generated outputs. Disclose: Transparently state when and how AI tools are used in academic tasks. Protect: Safeguard data privacy, intellectual property, and institutional security. Stay Accountable: Maintain ultimate human responsibility for the final academic work. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A segment, where university leaders and faculty members raised constructive comments and questions, receiving detailed clarifications from Dr. Seid. Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/

Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/

CALLING ALL BiT STUDENTS! Bahir Dar Institute of Technology invites all students to the Students’ Success Centers’ Kickoff Program 2026/2027. Join us to learn about the services, opportunities, and support offered by BiTec/BiT-Makerspace, BiT-CDC, and BiT ELIC to help you learn, grow, and succeed! 📅 Date: November 02, 2026 ⏰ Time: 2:00 PM (Afternoon 8:00 LT) 📍 Venue: BiT-Washer Hall Your success journey starts here. Don't miss it! #BiT #StudentSuccess #CareerDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #Employability #BahirDarUniversity

GUEST LECTURE

BiTec-BiT-BDU Launches "Design Your Venture" Training, Paving the Way for High-Impact Startup Incubation. [October 31, 2026 / Bahir Dar, ISC/BiT] ============================== Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT), Bahir Dar University, through its Business Incubation and Techno-Entrepreneurship Center (BiTec), officially launched the three-day “Design Your Venture” training program, bringing together participants from BDU- students, academic staff, and community innovators. The program aims to equip participants with practical entrepreneurial skills in opportunity identification, design thinking, customer validation, Lean Startup methodologies, business model development, financial planning, marketing, and investor-ready pitching. Mr. Hailemariam Mulugeta, Director of BiTec, emphasized the center’s commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent and announced that top-performing business ideas would be considered for admission into BiTec’s structured startup incubation pipeline. During the opening ceremony, Dr. Muluken Zegeye, Deputy Scientific Director for Research and Technology Transfer at BiT–BDU, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Through this initiative, BiTec–BiT–BDU aims to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses, promote job creation, and contribute to sustainable socioeconomic development. Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/

PhD Dissertation Public Defense Held at BiT–BDU [October 21, 2026 / Bahir Dar, ISC/BiT] ============================== Mr. Meheretab Achamyelew Yigzaw successfully defended his PhD dissertation at the Faculty of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University (BiT-BDU). His dissertation, titled “Developing a Contextual Framework for Sustainable Commercial Building Development through Assessment of current Implementation Practices, Determinant Factors, and Stakeholder Role Effectiveness” His study focuses on evaluating current construction practices, identifying critical driving factors, and measuring how effectively stakeholders perform their roles to create a customized framework for sustainable commercial properties. The advanced research was guided by a prominent committee of national and international academic experts: Main Supervisor: Dr. Asregedew Kassa Woldesenbet (Addis Ababa University) Co-Supervisor: Dr. Asmamaw Tadege Shiferaw (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway) Dr. Solomon Melaku Belay (Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University) The public defense concludes Mr. Meheretab's rigorous doctoral program, contributing vital contextual frameworks to the field of sustainable civil engineering and commercial building development. During the session, examiners and members of the academic community engaged the candidate with rigorous questions regarding the study's research methodology, theoretical foundations, and core findings. Mr. Meheretab addressed the feedback with clear, well-structured, and scientifically grounded explanations, demonstrating an exceptional mastery of his research area. The Bahir Dar Institute of Technology extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Meheretab Achamyelew and his entire supervisory team on achieving this significant academic milestone, which contributes vital solutions to modern power distribution challenges. Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/

Event milestone: This marks the 7th National Cyber Security Month for INSA, and the 2nd time BiT has co-hosted the celebrations. Scheduling challenges: He noted that due to overlapping schedules, this year's event was less grand than the previous year, which featured a higher turnout of senior government officials. However, he expressed great satisfaction with the ongoing collaboration. The BiT and INSA Partnership Deep collaboration: Beyond Cybersecurity Month, BiT and INSA cooperate on numerous strategic initiatives. Academic history: BiT launched its first undergraduate degree program in cybersecurity six years ago. Curriculum & teaching support: INSA has supported the program since its inception by helping design the curriculum and sending experts to teach courses. Student internships: Almost all cybersecurity students from BiT intern at INSA, with cohorts ranging from 15, 20, to 30 students annually. Capacity building: INSA provides regular short-term trainings for BiT staff and students. Cyber Security Summer Camp: BiT hosted the first-ever INSA Summer Camp held outside of Addis Ababa, which is now successfully concluding its second year. The Digital Era and Rising Cyber Threats Digitalization push: As Ethiopia targets its 2030 development goals, all information, assets, and infrastructure are rapidly transitioning to digital spaces. The "One Click" danger: Dr. Mitiku warned that users are always "just one click away" from a devastating cyber attack. Explosive attack metrics: Citing data shared by his colleague Tedros, he noted that reported cyber attacks targeting Ethiopian government institutions jumped from 13,000 instances to 71,000 instances in a single year—nearly a sevenfold increase. National sovereignty: He emphasized that cyber threats directly compromise national security, making it vital for public servants to protect the sensitive government data in their hands. Call to Action & Moving Forward Daily awareness: Cybersecurity cannot be addressed only once a year during a thematic month; it must be practiced daily. Launch of the Cyber Club: BiT and INSA have officially established a joint Cyber Club to foster continuous institutional awareness. A universal responsibility: Cybersecurity is not exclusively for computer scientists or IT professionals. It applies to anyone—in university or not—who interacts with digital tools. Congratulations to winners: He concluded by congratulating the students who won awards in the event's challenges, urging them to act as ambassadors by expanding cybersecurity awareness to their friends, families, and wider social circles. Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡-- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/

Bahir Dar University, in collaboration with the Information Network Security Administration (INSA), has officially launched the 7th National Cyber Security Month under the timely theme: "An Active Citizen for a Secure Country.". [October 22, 2026 / Bahir Dar, ISC/BiT] ================================ The launch event brought together university leadership, INSA delegates, academic professionals, and a large gathering of software engineering and computer science students to address the rapidly growing cyber threats facing Ethiopia as it pushes toward a digital economy. A Call for National Responsibility In his opening address, Dr. Amare Kassaw, Deputy Scientific Director of the Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BIT), highlighted the deep-rooted partnership between the university and INSA. He noted that Bahir Dar University was a pioneer in introducing the country’s first Cyber Security degree program six years ago. Dr. Amare Kassaw emphasized that while Ethiopia’s Digital 2030 strategy expands infrastructure and economic opportunities, it brings severe systemic risks if left unprotected. "We are just one click away from a cyberattack," Dr. Kassaw warned, stressing that safeguarding national data is no longer just the job of a single institution, but a shared citizen responsibility. Representing INSA, Mr,Tewodros Hailu, Head of the Communications Center, delivered a jarring statistical overview of the cyber threat landscape in Ethiopia. According to INSA's data tracker, the country has witnessed an exponential surge in malicious cyber activity over the last decade: 2010: Only 576 cyberattack attempts were recorded nationwide. 2016: Attempts climbed to 8,854—a massive 15-fold increase. 2017: The number jumped to 13,494. 2018: A staggering 71,400 cyberattack attempts were registered, marking a 123-fold increase since 2010. Mr,Tewodros Hailu explained that these attacks primarily manifest as phishing scams, password thefts, ransomware, website defacement, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. He called for proactive measures, stating, "Firefighting after an attack occurs is not enough. We must build institutional readiness, regularly audit our systems, and raise public awareness to stop threats before they strike.". The month-long campaign will focus on four weekly pillars: Child Online Safety & Digital Ethiopia 2030, Artificial Intelligence in Cyber Security, Community-Focused Awareness, and Institutional Readiness & Digital Sovereignty. Empowering the Next Generation: A Prodigy's Journey The event also featured inspiring testimonies from young ethical hackers who graduated from INSA’s competitive Cyber Talent Program. Among them was Mikias Tadesse, now an INSA technical specialist and founder of the startup Rai Intelligence. Mikias Tadesse shared his journey of getting his first personal computer at age seven, transitioning from an avid gamer into a self-taught programmer, and eventually overcoming systemic delays to join INSA's elite talent pool. "I used to think programming was just dragging and dropping objects," Mikias Tadesse told the inspired audience. "But curiosity led me to learn Java and look deeper into systemic vulnerabilities. True cybersecurity isn't about malicious 'black hat' hacking—it's about becoming a 'white hat' defender who identifies system gaps to protect our national security.". The launch concluded with a call to action for all tech students to actively join university cyber clubs, refine their skills ethically, and serve as the frontline defenders of Ethiopia's emerging digital realm. Dr. Mitiku Damtie, Scientific Director of the Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT), delivered a closing speech highlighting the critical cybersecurity partnership between BiT and the Information Network Security Administration (INSA), noting a sevenfold spike in reported cyber attacks on government institutions from 13,000 to 71,000 within a single year. Acknowledgments Gratitude to INSA: He thanked INSA for selecting BiT as a key partner to host the National Cyber Security Month.

The presentations were followed by an interactive and constructive staff discussion, during which participants raised critical concerns, shared reflections, and proposed recommendations and practical strategies. Particular emphasis was given to strengthening institutional readiness, actively engaging in policy and structural reforms, enhancing revenue generation through research, consultancy, laboratory services, industry partnerships, and professional training, and ensuring that academic quality and institutional competitiveness remain central to the transformation. In the closing session, BiT's Scientific Director and management team responded to the concerns and questions raised by participants, provided reflections on the proposed recommendations, and encouraged all academic and administrative staff to take an active role in the transition process. The workshop reinforced a shared understanding that institutional autonomy is not merely an administrative reform, but a transformative opportunity to strengthen academic excellence, research and innovation, financial sustainability, institutional accountability, and socioeconomic impact. BiT remains committed to advancing a participatory, strategically guided, and institutionally responsive transition toward university autonomy. #Bahir Dar Institute Of Technology #BahirDarUniversity #UniversityAutonomy #Institutional Transformation #Higher Education Reform #InstitutionalReadiness #AcademicExcellence #ResearchAndInnovation #FinancialSustainability #UniversityGovernance #StaffEngagement #Ethiopia Information and Strategic Communication Office Facebook፡-- https://www.facebook.com/bitpoly Telegram፡- https://t.me/bitpoly Website፡- https://www.bdu.edu.et/bit Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BiT_BDU LinkedIn: - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitpoly/