In the opening remarks, Dr. Guchie Gulie, president of Wolaita Sodo University, said that the university has been making significant contributions to the nation's development through research, community engagement, and technology transfer initiatives. Regarding the national annual research conference themed “Innovation Through Applied Research for Sustainable Development,” the president disclosed that over 38 research projects in the domains of agriculture, business and economics, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and health sciences would be presented and appraised by academics from all over the world.

Similarly, State Minister for Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Yeshurun Alemayehu, stated that the efforts being made to ensure sustainable development should be strengthened through research and development activities within higher education institutions. According to Dr. Yeshurun Alemayehu, a promising effort is being made by higher education institutions to ensure sustainable development and eradicate poverty in all its forms. The state minister also underscored that universities are expected to generate research that could serve as input for policy formulation.

In his keynote presentation, Professor Afework Kasu, Executive Director of Armauer Hansen Research Institute, accentuated that research in agriculture, health, education, industry, and other sectors at the national level should be aligned with the national development agenda, and the usage of resources for this purpose needs to be coordinated, supported, and guided by knowledge.

In the conference, which lasted for three days, academics from Ethiopian universities, Spain, and Ireland presented 38 scientific papers, and discussions were held on the subjects presented.