Discover the history, academic growth, people, programs, research capacity and contribution of Dire Dawa University to Ethiopia's higher education and national development.
Dire Dawa University is found in the industrial and commercial city of Dire Dawa, located 515 km east of Addis Ababa. It is a young higher education institution established and started its teaching and learning activities in the 2007 academic year.
The university was founded through the Ethiopian government's determination to expand higher education coverage and ensure equitable distribution across the country in order to produce competent human resources and research outputs that support national development and poverty reduction strategies.
DDU's development reflects Ethiopia's broader effort to expand access to higher education and strengthen applied education, research and national development.
The university began teaching and learning activities by enrolling 754 regular students in three faculties: Natural Science and Mathematics, Social Science and Language, and Business and Economics.
The first students were enrolled in 13 undergraduate academic programs supported by 90 academic staff and 103 administrative staff, operating with limited facilities.
The satellite campus of Haramaya University was merged with Dire Dawa University, creating an opportunity for the university to gain additional buildings and workshops.
DDU now operates with one institute and five colleges, offering undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 21,159 students.
Currently, the university has one Institute (Institute of Technology) and five Colleges: College of Natural & Computational Science, College of Business & Economics, College of Social Sciences & Humanities, College of Law, and College of Medicine and Health Science.
It offers 47 undergraduate and 46 graduate programs. Enrollment has reached more than 21,159 students through regular and non-regular admission modalities.
The university continues to expand its academic, research and community engagement capacity while responding to Ethiopia's evolving human-resource and development needs.
The Institute of Technology is one of the ten institutes established in Ethiopia to support the national transition toward an industry-led economy.
The university has contributed to the former national 70:30 policy mix, prioritizing Engineering & Natural Sciences over Social Sciences and strengthening the country's technical and scientific human-resource base.
The university's academic, administrative, technical and ICT staff form the foundation of its teaching, research, innovation and community engagement activities.
Total academic staff across the university.
Expatriate academics contributing to the university.
Supporting university administration and services.
Supporting technical infrastructure and digital services.
Dire Dawa University is located in Dire Dawa, one of Ethiopia's important industrial and commercial cities, approximately 515 km east of Addis Ababa.
From its beginnings with 754 students and three faculties, DDU has grown into a multi-disciplinary university with a broad academic community and an expanding role in education, research and development.
Explore our academic programs, research, innovation, student life, community engagement and university services to learn more about the DDU experience.
