The mission of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences is to foster the culture of science and innovation in Ethiopia. A culture of science and innovation strives through generation of knowledge and publication of scientific and scholarly works and widely disseminating them. EAS, because of its commitment to popularizing scientific knowledge in Ethiopia and the caliber of its members is well placed to take the lead in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, research and scholarship in Ethiopia. One way of making the Academy such a place is by establishing its own Press where research materials and books are published in a timely and regular manner and with product quality that matches its stature. EAS, therefore, establishes the Ethiopian Academy Press (EAS Press) to advance its mission of becoming a hub of scientific and intellectual activities in Ethiopia
As a neophyte, the EAS Press will have to figure out, from the very beginning, how to make itself visible in the huge publishing industry around the world. The hard and natural sciences, agricultural and health sciences, and the different branches of technology have already been the secure “turfs” of the older, much bigger university presses in the advanced countries. It will be extremely difficult for the fledgling Press to make its presence felt in any of these fields. Recognizing this hard fact will not, however, prevent it from publishing books and journals in these disciplines. Indeed, it will encourage Ethiopia’s scientific community to submit manuscripts to it. Yet, it will have to make a considered decision on which area(s) to focus as a specialization. Taking into account the country’s comparative advantage – the rich literary heritage of Ethiopia – it will aim at excelling in publishing cultural, historical and philological studies on the Horn of Africa. These branches of knowledge can be defined very broadly to include also the present era thus enabling the Press to engage dynamically in publications on current political and social issues of the region as a whole as well as to bring out memoirs, diaries, and other public and private documents. Side by side with this choice, the Press will strive to become a leading educational publisher that publishes instructional products, which can be used in schools, universities, homes, libraries and workplaces. This approach will, at the same time, help it to fulfil one of its cardinal missions (popularizing the sciences to the wider public) and, into the bargain, remedy the current serious shortage of high quality educational materials in the country by drawing upon the high-level expertise at its disposal. In short, the choice of niche in the industry will help it gain, as time passes, visibility and renown at least continentally and, even more importantly, a secure share of the domestic book market.
