About · ስለ እኔ
Selam — I’m Liyu.
Computer Science student at Carnegie Mellon, builder of things that sense and move, and proudly from Addis Ababa. Here’s the longer story — and the culture I carry with me.
My name is Liyu Getaneh Berhanu, and I am originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I’m pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science in Doha, Qatar. My first name, ልዩ, means “special” in Amharic.
Much of my early work was hands-on. Alongside my studies at KUESSC, a national STEM boarding school in Addis Ababa, I kept a cardiac charity’s SMS donation platform running, verified 10,000+ tablets for Ethiopia’s agricultural census and wired sensors for an automated garden. In 2024 I led a five-person team at the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and demonstrated our automated seeder to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister.
I care about technology that keeps people safe. That is why I founded Cyber Smart, a digital-safety initiative that has reached more than 1,000 young people across Ethiopia — and why I’m planning a concentration in Security & Privacy at CMU.
Outside of academics, I’m highly passionate about football — both playing and following the sport as a dedicated Chelsea fan. I also enjoy playing chess, exploring outdoor activities and continuously looking for ways to expand my social and professional networks. I’m always open to discussing technology, collaborative projects, or sharing insights about Ethiopian culture.
፩Culture & identity · ባህል እና ማንነት
Three rounds of buna
In Ethiopia, coffee is never rushed. A ceremony has three rounds — and each one tells part of my story.
Tap a cup to pour the next round.
Round one · Abol
አቦልRoots in Addis Ababa
I grew up in Addis Ababa and earned a place at KUESSC — a national STEM boarding school that admits about 7% of applicants, all from the top 2% of the country — on a full four-year merit scholarship.
My first tech role started in 2021: keeping the SMS donation platform of the Children’s Heart Fund of Ethiopia running for 500+ donors, while tutoring younger students in math for their national exams.
Round two · Tona
ቶናGrowth through doing
Between 2022 and 2025 I led the Math Club, founded the Environmental Club and ran the Sports Club. I built an automated micro-garden at INSA, audited 10,000+ census tablets and led a robotics team at the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute.
I also founded Cyber Smart — and finished in the top 50 of 580,000 students on the national university entrance exam.
Round three · Bereka
በረካThe blessing: Carnegie Mellon
Bereka means “blessing”. Mine is studying Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science in Doha, Qatar.
I’m planning a concentration in Security & Privacy — the natural next chapter after teaching 1,000+ young Ethiopians to stay safe online — alongside coursework in systems, AI and human-centered design.
In an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, green beans are roasted, ground and brewed in a clay ጀበና (jebena), then served in three rounds — abol, tona and bereka. The third round is said to bestow a blessing.
፪Time, the Ethiopian way
Thirteen months of sunshine
Ethiopia keeps its own calendar and its own clock. Here they are — live.
Right now in Addis Ababa
Liveመስከረም ፳ ፳፻፲፱
The Ethiopian day begins at sunrise, so 7:00 AM is “1 o’clock”. Addis Ababa and Doha share a time zone (UTC+3).
መልካም አዲስ ዓመት! Happy Ethiopian New Year 2019 — it began on Meskerem 1.
Meskerem 20, 2019 E.C. መስከረም ፳ ፳፻፲፱
The calendar has twelve months of 30 days plus Pagume, a short 13th month of five or six days. New Year (Enkutatash) falls on Meskerem 1 — September 11 or 12. It runs seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, which is how I was born in 1998.
፫ፊደል · Fidel
An alphabet of our own
Amharic is written in Ge’ez script — ፊደል, fidel — one of the few indigenous African writing systems still in everyday use. Each character pairs a consonant with a vowel, so every consonant comes in seven forms.
ልዩ ጌታነህ ብርሃኑ — my name, Liyu Getaneh Berhanu, written in fidel.
Explore a letter family
፬The journey
Addis Ababa → Doha
About 2,260 km, a single flight and zero jet lag — Addis Ababa and Doha share UTC+3. A few things I bring with me:
- The birthplace of coffeeEthiopia is widely considered coffee’s homeland — and a ceremony is how you welcome someone.
- Home of the African UnionAddis Ababa hosts the AU’s headquarters, which makes it one of Africa’s diplomatic capitals.
- A capital in the highlandsAt roughly 2,355 m above sea level, Addis is one of the highest capital cities in the world.
- Passenger
- Berhanu/Liyu
- Flight
- CS 2030
- Departed
- Fall 2026
- Gate
- SCS
- Seat
- 15-112
- Distance
- ≈ 2,260 km
zero jet lag
፭Off the clock
When I’m not coding
Football
I play and follow the game — a dedicated Chelsea fan.
Chess
A game of strategy and patience — always up for a match.
The outdoors
Exploring outdoor activities whenever I get the chance.
People
Growing my social and professional networks — over coffee, ideally.
፮Contact · ያግኙኝ
Let’s build something that matters.
I’m open to research, internship and project opportunities in security & privacy, embedded systems and AI — and always happy to talk about Ethiopian culture over a cup of buna.