An awarding ceremony was held on the 14th of November 2022 in Bahir Dar in celebration of Dr. Firew Tegegne, President of Bahir Dar University, receiving this year’s Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation. Dr. Firew Tegegne has contributed to the promotion of academic exchanges between Japan and Ethiopia. He was a driving force for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 2008 for Academic Cooperation between Bahir Dar University and Tottori University, one of the highly acclaimed universities in Japan. More than 25 professors from Bahir Dar University have visited Japan. This is largely due to Dr. Firew’s understanding of the significance of academic exchange with Japan, through his research experience in Hiroshima University in 2010 and Tottori University in 2014-2015, and his active encouragement of professors at Bahir Dar University for academic exchange with Japanese universities. In addition to being involved in various joint research projects with Soka University on lake resource utilization as a project director, he also plays a critical role in academic exchange activities in the field of land use between Bahir Dar University, Tottori University, Shimane University and the University of Tokyo. The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients. Sources: Homepage of Japan embassy in Ethiopia.