The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa have formalized a pivotal partnership by signing a grant agreement designed to assist in the transition of Ethiopian public universities to autonomous governance.
This initiative aims to bolster academic freedom, improve financial control, and elevate the quality of education within the country’s higher education system. By supporting the move towards autonomy, the agreement sets the stage for Ethiopian universities to become more self-sufficient, flexible, and better equipped to respond to the needs of students, faculty, and society at large.
The grant agreement ceremony took place at the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) headquarters and was attended by a wide range of distinguished guests, including U.S. Embassy officials, representatives from the Ministry of Education, various university presidents and representatives, Fulbright scholars, and members of the media.
The event was officially launched by Prof. Teketel Yohannes, the Executive Director of EAS, who delivered a welcoming speech to open the proceedings and set the tone for the day.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Belay Kassa, President of the EAS, expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Embassy for its continued commitment to supporting the transition of Ethiopian public universities to autonomous governance. He emphasized the importance of the partnership, noting that it would be instrumental in fostering a more independent and effective higher education system in Ethiopia.
Prof. Belay further explained that the EAS’s role in this initiative would be to provide technical assistance to Ethiopian universities as they navigate the complex process of transitioning to autonomy.
Ambassador Massinga underscored the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting this process, noting that the U.S. government, alongside U.S. universities, stands ready to assist Ethiopian universities in their efforts to achieve autonomy.
In his remarks, Ambassador Ervin Massinga of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa emphasized the importance of the transition of Ethiopian public universities to autonomous governance. He explained that this shift would empower universities to better serve their students by granting them greater independence in decision-making, resource management, and academic pursuits.
He also highlighted the significance of the event, as it coincided with the International Day of Education, a day that celebrates global efforts to improve education. The Ambassador expressed his pleasure in announcing the commencement of the second phase of U.S. support for Ethiopia’s higher education reforms, which will be facilitated through a $520,000 cooperative grant to the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences. This funding aims to further the transition of Ethiopian public universities to more autonomous governance structures, marking a critical step in the country’s education transformation.
Ambassador, Massinga, expressed his gratitude to the EAS for its valuable partnership with the U.S. Embassy in supporting the transition of Ethiopian public universities to autonomy.
Dr. Solomon Abrha, the Chief Executive Officer for Governance and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Education, spoke at the ceremony, highlighting the Ethiopian government’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of education nationwide.
He noted that positive results were already being observed in higher education institutions, reflecting the success of recent reforms.
He also emphasized the importance of transforming public universities towards autonomy to achieve greater academic freedom, increased financial control, stronger connections with both domestic and international partners, and, most importantly, an improved quality of education.