Professor Nancy Love, Associate Professor Terese Olson and Graduate Student Kevin Fries are participating in a U-M trip to Ethiopia this January to address the country’s need for graduate training and research collaborations.

Ethiopia has one of the world’s fastest growing middle classes. According to the IMF, Ethiopia registered over 10 percent economic growth from 2004 through 2009, an upward trend that continues today.

The success story has its challenges. One of the country’s greatest needs is to quickly educate millions of people, including well-qualified engineers. The government has reached out to foreign universities, including U-M, to help provide expertise in expanding existing engineering and medical programs and build new ones.