Higher Education in Ethiopia: MSM’s Roundtable stresses co-operation in Research and Innovation
MSM and the Ethiopia Education Strategy Center organized a Roundtable on Higher Education in Ethiopia. Held in Addis Ababa on 7 June, participants included University Board Chairs and Presidents of the 31 Public Universities in Ethiopia.
Together they explored the global challenges for higher education institutions, their impact on Ethiopian higher education and their role as governors.
This timely event was organized by the Ethiopia Education Strategy Center and Maastricht School of Management, as part of a capacity building program on University Leadership and Management, financially supported by the Dutch government (Nuffic). In his opening words, H.E. Shiferaw Shigutie, Minister of Education, emphasized the pertinent role of education for the country’s development.
The guest speaker at the event was Prof. Jo Ritzen, former Dutch Minister of Education, former Vice-President of the World Bank, and former President of Maastricht University, and a leading expert on issues related to higher education reforms worldwide, either systemic or institutional. Prof. Ritzen strongly advised universities in Ethiopia to take the lead in establishing partnerships with the private sector, international donors, and government institutions in order to stimulate regional economic development. In his view, it is essential for universities to take up this glove in order to ensure a seamless transition of their graduates into an evolving labor market characterized by many challenges.
Dr Aklilu Hailemichael, Director General of the Education Strategy Center set the context for the Roundtable discussions by giving an overview of the development and challenges of the higher education sector in Ethiopia, covering issues such as financing, relevance and (teachers’) quality, and research.
The importance of cooperation was another leading theme of the day, equally put forward by Prof. Ritzen and participants. At student level, training graduates to become problem solvers requires teamwork and communication skills. At university management level, cooperation between the President, Vice Presidents, Deans and Department Heads is vital within any internal change process. At university level, explorations could take place on which institution best can specialize on what is relevant for differentiation and sustainability in the long run. At government level, regional development calls for joint action between Ministries of Education, Industry, ICT, and Finance. Finally, global challenges ask for international cooperation in research and innovation.
The Ethiopian higher education sector has undergone major changes focusing on a rapid increase of enrolment facilitated by a strong support from the government. Prof. Ritzen stressed that the Ethiopian situation is not unique, and that lessons can be drawn from many other countries. It is however clear that bold decisions will be needed in order to balance quantity with quality of education, ensuring financial sustainability, matching autonomy with accountability and stimulating differentiation and the set-up of Centers of Excellence.
The Ethiopia Education Strategy Center expressed the intention to continue organizing this kind of pertinent strategic networking Roundtables on a structural basis as a way to facilitate national networking between senior university leaders and to stimulate sector-wide reflection on the future of Ethiopian higher education.
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