The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) recently held its 12th Annual General Assembly Regular Meeting on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the Capital Hotel and Spa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To ensure the participation of all Fellows, the Academy facilitated a video conference for those who were unable to attend in person.
The meeting commenced with a moment of silence to honor the late Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher and Dr. Melaku Worede, esteemed Fellows of the Academy who passed this year. The President of the Academy, Prof. Belay Kassa, delivered his opening remarks, providing a comprehensive report on the Board’s activities for the fiscal year 2015 E.C.
Prof. Belay expressed his sincere appreciation for the invaluable contributions made by partner organizations, which played a pivotal role in the remarkable success of the Academy’s annual achievements. His acknowledgment was extended to the collaborative efforts and unwavering support provided by these organizations, highlighting their significant impact on the Academy’s accomplishments.
The General Assembly officially inducted 21 Fellows elected in 2013 FY (14 Regular Fellows) and (7Associate Fellows). The new Fellows were introduced by their respective Working Group Chairpersons and were warmly welcomed to the Academy by the General Assembly. The Assembly also elected (10 Regular) and (7 Associate Fellows) nominated by Working Groups for the 2014 election cycle.
The General Assembly discussed and approved the Academy’s Performance Report for FY 2015 and the Annual Plan for FY 2016 E.C, which were presented by the Executive Director Prof. Teketel Yohannes. The Annual Audit Report on the EAS Financial Statements for 2015, which was presented by the External Auditor, was approved by the General Assembly.
Notable discussions during the General Assembly meeting included the ways in which the Academy can strengthen its financial capacity, the need for salary adjustments to account for the current cost of living, ensuring staff retention within the Academy. Additionally, the draft guideline for electing Honorary Fellows was approved. It was also highly recommended to retain the current practice of holding a regular monthly public lecture series focused on research based and scientific solutions to address the current critical national issues, serving as a valuable policy input for the government and other stakeholders.
Finally, the annual induction lecture titled “Water Resource Technologies to Promote Sustainability” was presented by Dr. Amare Haileselasse. The session was moderated by Dr. Getachew Gebru, Chairperson of the Agricultural Working Group of the EAS. During this enlightening session, Dr. Amare emphasized that the primary obstacle to food production is the scarcity of water.
Following the lecture, the participants had the opportunity to pose thought-provoking questions and share insightful comments. The purpose of this interactive discussion was to gather valuable research inputs that could be utilized as policy recommendations for responsible water resource management in our country. The meeting ended with the closing remarks given by Prof. Belay, the President of EAS.
