9 Ethiopian Universities Await a Decision That Could Change Everything

In the past few days, you’ve probably heard some exciting news about Ethiopian universities and a large shift in the direction of their education system. A list of Ethiopian universities eligible to begin the autonomy process should be released soon.

9 Ethiopian universities have already done their own readiness check for this next step. In May, the Ethiopian Ministry of Education sent independent teams of experts to each of these universities. Their task is to determine if each university is truly prepared to be autonomous.

Below is the list of those Ethiopianuniversities.

1. University of Gondar
2. Bahir Dar University
3. Jimma University
4. Haramaya University
5. Adama Science And Technology University
6. Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
7. Arba Minch University
8. Hawassa University
9. Mekelle University

The Ethiopian Ministry is presently evaluating the requests of these nine Universities. These universities may be independent within 3 months.

On November 10, 2018 (Ethiopian Calendar), Ethiopian Minister of Education Prof. Berhanu Nega wrote a letter to all nine universities that began this process. The message was: “Slow down on anything that may bring the university under scrutiny beyond what it does on a day-to-day basis, at least until the final verdict on the readiness for autonomy.

But the letter didn’t end there. It also established regulations on how these universities can use their assets. The university’s rights, property, and land cannot be transferred to another party. This includes both leasing and selling.

For any major construction project, the Ethiopian Ministry must approve it first. In addition, the green light from the Ministry is required for new property acquisitions. In other words, it remains frozen until officially confirmed by the Ministry.

Currently, nine universities are awaiting the government’s decision, and three of those have recently seen changes in their university presidents. That’s one-third of the group in new leadership, and at the same time they are seeking to prove they are ready for autonomy.

Universities should meet the autonomy transition guidelines at 60 percent or above. Those Universities will be granted autonomy in 2019 (Ethiopian Calendar). This move toward autonomy is significant for Ethiopian universities. Providing universities with greater autonomy in decision-making may alter how they function, develop, and utilize their resources.