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Rift Valley is the largest private university in Ethiopia, with campuses spread out over most regions of the country. As of 2015, the university has 27 campuses. Known formerly as Rift Valley University College, RVU was granted full fledged university status in 2014 by Ethiopia's Ministry of Education.

The University is founded on the belief that delivering quality education plays a crucial role in boosting the human and economic development of the country. We believe university graduates play leading roles in realizing the goal of becoming a middle income nation in the coming two decades. This direction is believed to alleviate the holds of poverty and free the country from long-prevailing dependency. Consequently, Rift Valley University was conceived with the core values of leadership, service, commitment, integrity, excellence, and innovation parallel with the nation’s developmental goals. As an academic institution, the University is tasked with producing competent, ethical and skilled manpower without making any distinction between people of different ethnic, religious, social, economic and political backgrounds. It aspires to serve the country as a whole in equipping graduates with knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in various contexts.

Dinku Deyasa, a renowned investor in Ethiopia and owner of NFYD PLC, Dr. Haileleul Zeleke (Asst. Professor) and Frezewed Lemma (lecturer) from Adama University (the then Nazareth Technical Teachers’ College) and two other individuals: Reta Bekele, a lawyer and Ato Mulugete Debebe, a management professional envisaged the necessity of founding a private higher education institution mainly aimed at curbing the country’s dearth of qualified human resources. These five persons founded the University in 2000.

When the first batch of eager students set foot on RVU’s first campus in Adama in October 2000, they encountered a very different setting from the spacious and forested compound equipped with a modern building, multiple administrative offices, laboratories, libraries and classrooms that we see today. Rift Valley College began to operate with a capital of 1,300,000 Eth. Birr, a total number of 154 evening program students, and five part-time staff. Prior to launch, demand survey was conducted to identify the fields of study most desired by the community in and around Adama and Asella towns. On the basis of the findings, academic programs commenced at a diploma level in five fields of study, namely Accounting, Computer Science, Law, Marketing Management, and Secretarial Science and Office Management. The Asella satellite campus was launched three months later with Accounting, Law and Marketing Management fields of study. This new "learning community" was housed in just one rented block that consisted of a single administrative office and a few classrooms. By the end of 2000/2001 academic year, total enrolment at the two locations was about 250 students in the five diploma programs of study.

The first accreditation by the Ministry of Education in five diploma level programs of study was earned in 2001 from HERQA and TVET Commissions. In September 2003 and 2004, Gotera and Batu (Ziway) campuses came into being respectively; Bishoftu campus was launched two years later followed by Dire Dawa and Chiro, which begun to operate in August 2005. Bole and Gullele campuses came into being in October 2005. Harar campus was established in October 2006. When the institution was empowered to grant a bachelor’s degree, Accounting, Business Management and Law were the first academic programs on offer at the Adama campus.

Since its inception, the University has continued to grow both in campus size and the range of academic programs it offers. As of the start of the 2015/2016 academic year, RVU currently operates 27 campuses country wide, one campus in Somaliland and seven distance education centers, each with more than a dozen branch coordination units throughout the country. Through these centers, RVU is able to reach students in remote parts of the country and beyond. After conducting a rigorous evaluation of its systems, physical facilities, and learning resources of all of its campuses and faculties, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA), granted Rift Valley the status of a full-fledged University in August 2014.

Rift Valley University currently offers more than 20 undergraduate and five graduate programs in business, technology, health and social science fields. By 2020, it is projected that the total number of academic programs offered will have reached 90 (75 undergraduate and 15 graduate programs). Additionally, RVU provides dozens of Technical Education and Vocational Training programs at all levels. The University aims to also increase the number of TVET programs based on demands for middle-level professionals as identified by TVET commissions of regional States.

As the University expands, excellence in education, research and public engagement remain a focal point. The University prioritizes recruitment of qualified and passionate faculty and staff who engage in teaching as well as in research and publication activities. Annual conferences, hosted by RVU, provide ample opportunities for faculty and staff as well as the general University community and scholars from other institutions to share experience and knowledge on a multitude of issues. Furthermore, In order to support its services with relevant clinical practices and experiences from the workforce, the University has continued to establish and maintain collaborative partnerships and affiliations with a number of prestigious higher learning and research institutions, health service providers, professional associations, industries, and financial institutions locally and internationally. The University seeks to continue building linkages and collaborative relationships with renowned international higher learning institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. It also actively involves in community outreach activities by unleashing scholarly and material supports to the local, regional and national governments. In the coming years, a key feature of RVU will be its quality relationships with various stakeholders who share the vision and values of the University. These external local and international partnerships will bolster RVU’s growing reputation as an excellent institution of higher education and greatly enhance the educational opportunities of RVU students, faculty and its partners.

Branches of Rift Valley University

Adama
Ambo
Assella
Bahir Dar
Bale-Robe
Batu
Bole
Bishoftu
Chiro
Dire-Dawa
Gotera
Gullelle
Harar
Haya-Hulete
Hawasa
Jigjiga
Jimma
Kaliti
Lancha
Lebu
Mari-Summit
Mekele
Nekemte
Sidist-Kilo
Shashemene
Woliso
Yeka

References

External links

Official website

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-'''Rift Valley''' is the largest Private University in [[Ethiopia]], with campuses spread out over most regions of the country. As of 2015, the University has 27 campuses. Known formerly as Rift Valley University College, RVU was granted full fledged University status in 2014 by Ethiopia's Ministry of Education.
+'''Rift Valley''' is the largest private university in [[Ethiopia]], with campuses spread out over most regions of the country. As of 2015, the university has 27 campuses. Known formerly as Rift Valley University College, RVU was granted full fledged university status in 2014 by Ethiopia's Ministry of Education.
 The University is founded on the belief that delivering quality education plays a crucial role in boosting the human and economic development of the country. We believe university graduates play leading roles in realizing the goal of becoming a middle income nation in the coming two decades. This direction is believed to alleviate the holds of poverty and free the country from long-prevailing dependency. Consequently, Rift Valley University was conceived with the core values of leadership, service, commitment, integrity, excellence, and innovation parallel with the nation’s developmental goals. As an academic institution, the University is tasked with producing competent, ethical and skilled manpower without making any distinction between people of different ethnic, religious, social, economic and political backgrounds. It aspires to serve the country as a whole in equipping graduates with knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in various contexts.