Zerfu Hailu, Ethiopia

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Zerfu Hailu got a PhD in Forest Ecology from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, BOKU Vienna in 2002. By now Zerfu has over 35 years of experience on sustainable management of natural resources in Ethiopia and internationally, of which since 2002 have mainly been in the Land Administration and Land Management field. He has practical working experience from land administration systems implemented at local and regional levels for tenure security in the Amhara Region in Ethiopia. Currently Dr. Zerfu Hailu is a Deputy Team Leader for the project called Responsible and Innovative Land Administration (REILA) and senior Land Administration Advisor for the same project financed by the Government of Finland and the Government of Ethiopia. In addition Dr. Zerfu Hailu is a member to the advisory board of the land administration project EduLand2 financed by the APPEAR programmme, developed and implemented jointly by the Debre Markos University and BOKU. As the Deputy Manager of Environmental Protection, Land Administration & Use (EPLAUA) in the Amhara Region (2002-2006), Dr. Zerfu Hailu was an instrumental player in establishing and developing EPLAUA from the very beginning. Dr. Zerfu Hailu was responsible for EPLAUA's competence and capacity building in a step by step approach. He played a key role in establishing the land administration infrastructure installations and the development of the office physical resources to a good standard. Dr. Zerfu Hailu had initiated, with his colleagues, a project and played critical and significant role in the established cooperation between the BOKU and Bahir Dar University, University of Gondar, and the Amhara Agriculture Research Institute. The cooperation was on Strengthening Rural Transformation Competences of Higher Education and Research Institutions in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The focus of the project was on creating linkages between education, research and extension and was operated in three selected micro-watersheds. The APPEAR project was financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation. Furthermore Zerfu designed a three years program (2013 - 2016) for the Austrian Development Cooperation under the name Sustainable Resources Management Program for North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region. The total budget of the program is 6.1 million Euros.

Reflection

During my stay at the university, I was considered as a "staff" of the Institute of Forest Ecology. This enabled me to acquire significant knowledge that contributed to my academic advancement. I always appreciated the support I received from my scientific supervisor Professor Gerhard Glatzel and the staff of the institute. Since I came back to Ethiopia I accomplished many milestones in the area of Natural Resources Management, Establishment of Academic Institutions for Land Administration Training, Forest Producers' Cooperatives Establishment and Development for the first time in Amhara regions, and coordinating International Experience exchange on cadaster and land registration. Besides I kept my academic links with my former host institution in Austria and established cooperation.