Jimma University (JU) is one of the top teaching universities in Ethiopia, and is located in Oromia Region, Jimma Zone. It offers programs and researches which lead toward degrees in different fields of studies. It was established in December 1999 with the amalgamation of the Jimma College of Agriculture (founded in 1952) and the Jimma Institute of Health Sciences (founded in 1983). The main campus of JU is next to the former palace of the kings of Kingdom of Jimma. The university campus is located in the city of Jimma 352 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa covering 167 hectares. JU is Ethiopia's first innovative community-oriented education institution of higher learning, with teaching centers for health care in Jimma, Shebe, Agaro, and Asendabo. JU also publishes the biannual Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, and launched the Jimma University Journal of Law in October 2007. JU is a pioneer in Public health training. In collaboration with national and international partners, which includes the Federal Ministry of Health, JU is offering a new graduate program in the monitoring and evaluation of health programs and service.