The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are a University-wide celebration of our outstanding people. Yesterday the shortlist for the 2024 Awards was announced. There were 250 award entries across the 11 categories this year, with 1,500 individuals included in the nominations.
Girma and Jorgelina were shortlisted in the Environmental Sustainability Award category, for their inspiring levels of commitment and dedication in EWCP’s Biodiversity Friendly Futures project. Their work promotes sustainable livelihoods among communities sharing the land with Ethiopian wolves and other highland endemic species, and sustained community-based conservation in spite current political and social unrest in the Amhara Region.
Over the past few years, they built a strong team of local leaders with a broad range of expertise and skills, crucially Fekadu Lema and Misrak Seyoum, who have in turn catalysed partnerships across civil and government bodies, including grass root institutions that are becoming the foundation of this project.
Girma and Jorgelina have brought international interest and funding for this project and recently secured fresh funding from the UK Darwin Initiative. Moreover, this project has helped Girma grown as a conservation leader, becoming Executive Director of a new native NGO, Dinkenesh Ethiopia, an a key EWCP partner. Girma studied for his Diploma at Oxford, and through his association with WildCRU gained a PhD from Leiden University. Recently Girma returned to Oxford to attend an international conference and for experience-sharing.
The project Jorgelina and Girma have developed is the ultimate example of an inclusive culture, where Oxford’s excellence spills-over into a holistic conservation project based on the hard work and learning experiences of a diversity of partners from the Global South.
Nominations were assessed by judging panels made up of colleagues from across the University, divisions and colleges. The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at a special ceremony hosted by the Vice-Chancellor at the Sheldonian Theatre on Wednesday 8 May, followed by a reception at the Examination Schools.
Please join us in congratulating the success of our colleagues in our community who have gone above and beyond to contribute to Oxford’s mission.