The Interuniversity Programme Molecular Biology (IPMB), jointly organised by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, KU Leuven and University Antwerp, was established in 1996 and until 2018 it was supported by VLIR-UOS as one of its International Course Programmes (ICP)*. The programme aimed to strengthen and update the theoretical and practical skills of young scientists, who mainly came from developing countries and already were involved in either human or animal health, agricultural research, and/or were teaching in these fields. After two years of study, graduates acquired a sound basis to develop preventive strategies, diagnostic techniques and therapies and set out ways to contribute to improved animal and crop production based on a molecular biological approach. They were also instilled with an awareness of the ethical issues related to the field. The programme prepared them with the knowledge and skills to share their expertise back in their home country. The overall objective of the programme was therefore not just to transfer technology and knowledge, but also to train participants to acquire the ability to cope with a wide range of scientific problems and to provide them with the intellectual tools to develop a molecular biological approach with an emphasis on self-reliance, while at the same time minimising dependence on the transfer of foreign technology.
Until now, some 600 students have been trained, most of whom returned home to hold important positions at universities, research institutes, in industry, management, or government.
Dr Fikru Regassa
Dr. Fikru Regassa is a perfect example of how the IPMB training provided the basis for an international career, which has allowed him to contribute to the improvement of Ethiopia’s education, research and management from an academic perspective, and now recently as Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture. [Continue reading below image]
After studying veterinary medicine at Addis Ababa University, he joined the IPMB programme in 2007 thanks to a scholarship offered by his mentor Prof. Bruno Goddeeris (KU Leuven). He graduated cum laude as Master of Science in Molecular Biology in 2009. For his master thesis he worked on animal trypanosomosis, a deadly disease that affects livestock in Ethiopia and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, causing enormous economic losses by negatively affecting animal production.
Dr. Fikru Regassa says of his studies in Belgium: ”In the first months of my stay in Brussels, I had mixed feelings and impressions: first as it was a new course and I didn’t have a clue, I felt that I could not survive the study load, the difficulty of the courses, as well as the environment. On the other hand, I knew I had the opportunity to make my dream come true to launch myself in the wonderful world of molecular biology as a means of tackling many problems our society was facing in the field of human and animal health, and animal and plant production. Thanks to the mentoring and encouragement of the IPMB staff and professors, I succeeded in getting a solid theoretical basis of many aspects of molecular biology and biotechnology, and developed the practical skills and mindset to perform research in an international context. For me, a new world opened up and I got the chance to shift from the field work I knew from back at home to investigations at molecular level. I got countless impressions, but I limit myself to mention the punctuality, the agility and the commitment of the staff, and the in-depth and diverse nature of their knowledge and skills. Participation in the IPMB programme also gave me the mind-opening experience to live and operate in a multicultural and international environment.”
State Minister at Ministry of Agriculture
After his Master studies, Dr. Fikru returned to Addis Ababa University to continue research on trypanosomiasis and prepared his PhD with Prof. Bruno Goddeeris and Prof. Philippe BĂĽscher (Institute Tropical Medicine, Antwerp) as promoters. After obtaining his PhD, Dr. Fikru coordinated several international research programmes, was promoted to Associate Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Addis Ababa University and became Dean of the College in 2019. At that point he was appointed State Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture.
During his academic career, he had been involved in the establishment of a Master’s programme in biotechnology that will secure the training of highly needed biotechnologists who will be active in improving animal health and production through the development of diagnostic tools, vaccines, in vitro fertilisation technologies, just to mention a few.
Thanks to his vast experience in the fields of research, education and management, Dr. Fikru Regassa is in a good position now to know exactly what problems and hurdles his country is facing in the field of agriculture and how they can be solved and remedied.
Of course, his position as head of the Ministry of Agriculture is quite different from the one as Dean, lecturer and administrator in an academic environment, and the approach to deal with the problems is very different. As Dr. Fikru explains, “in college we learn while we teach and we teach while we learn, while in the ministry, I learn while doing and I do while I learn”.
We are convinced he will cope extremely well with the various challenges and issues he will face.
We wish Ethiopia’s new Minister of Agriculture all the best in his new position!
All photos © Professor Sonia Beeckmans
* Since the academic year 2018-19, the IPMB programme was revamped but still runs under the same name. For details, see: https://www.vub.be/en/study/molecular-biology/#about