News: Fana Hagos, former President of Tigray Supreme Court appointed as President of Mekelle University

By Medihane Ekubamichael @MEDIHANE 

Addis Abeba, April 15, 2021- Fana Hagos Berhane (PhD) has been appointed as President of Mekelle University replacing Professor Fetien Abay who has been serving as Acting President of the University since mid-September 2020.

Fana Hagos (PhD) said,” I have been notified of the appointment effective as of yesterday and I am pleased to accept this responsibility,” while talking to Addis Standard, explaining that her appointment came as a result of her application to the post.  

She also added, “I want to address major concerns of the university particularly on the continuity of the academics programs despite the situation in Tigray. I am determined to make the University play a significant role in rebuilding and developing Tigray.”

Abdulkadir Kedir (PhD), Deputy Academic President of Mekelle University, told Addis standard,” Dr. Fana has been appointed for the presidency of the University following a stepwise shortlisting of applicants from the announcement disclosed to fill the presidency post.”

According to Abdulkedir, their applicants including Professor Fetien Abay, the former acting president of the university who had applied for the post but her application couldn’t be processed as she was not in the country at the moment. The deputy academic president, however, when asked about the university’s relation with that of the Regional Interim Administration said,” That with the exception of issues like community service engagements there is no much engagement with the Tigray Interim Administration or any influence over the appointment of Dr. Fana to replace the Acting President.”

According to her profile, Fana Hagos (PhD) received her bachelor’s degree in law from Addis Ababa University, her Master’s degree from the University of Free Africa, and her Ph.D. degree from Warwick University, UK, and had worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the African Academy of Sciences in Nairobi, Kenya.

She previously worked as a prosecutor for the Tigray Regional Justice Bureau and has been an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at Mekelle University for 12 years while serving as Director of the University’s Gender Studies Institute and Dean of the College of Law and Governance. Prior to her appointment as President of Mekelle University, she served as President of the Tigray Regional Supreme Court for four years and six months..

It is to be recalled that Professor Fetien Abay came as an Acting President of Mekelle University. She took the position after the long-serving Professor Kindeya Gebrehiwot who was relieved from his duty on September 14. AS