| History
and background
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Wondo Genet College of Forestry (WGCF) formerly called Wondo Genet Forestry Resource Institute was founded in 1978 and has since then offered diploma courses in general forestry. Since its establishment, the college has grown to the center of excellence in the professional forestry education and research in Ethiopia. WGCF served as a host institute between 1986-90 for Bachelor of Science training carried out by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in cooperation with the Ethiopian Government. As of 1996, the forestry faculty at Alemaya University of Agriculture was transferred to WGCF. This makes WGCF the only professional Forestry College in the country. A Master of Science program in forestry is running jointly with SLU since 1994. This program will gradually be overtaken fully by the College. WGCF advances a triangular mandate of training/education, research and extension in the area of forestry in particular and environment in general. The college has established a strong working relation with government and non-government organizations, regional states, academic and research institutions in the country and abroad. The contribution of the college in this arena ranges from consultancy/advisory service to capacity development. The College normally operates on a two-semester basis, sixteen weeks each, between September and end of June. Students break for vacation from around end of June to mid September. Graduation takes place at the end of the academic year. WGCF is situated at the foot of the Abaro escarpment in a spectacular landscape setting 265 km south of Addis Ababa in the area called Wondo Genet (‘Genet’ in Amharic language means a paradise). Wondo Genet reserves a natural and plantation forests and a very productive valley with excellent irrigation water flowing year round. The area is also the melting-pot of six ethnic groups. This ecological and socioeconomical accompaniments made the college excellent place for training/education and research in the field of forestry and environment |
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