Strong policies and practices in research administration are crucial for Ethiopia’s public universities as they transition to new governance models. These measures help universities secure financial resources, enhance research facilities, attract talented faculty and students, and establish international partnerships.
To support Ethiopia’s public universities in their move towards autonomous governance, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia organized a five-day workshop from July 8-12. This workshop focused on university research administration and was attended by 20 vice presidents and directors of research from the country’s leading research universities. The event was conducted by Institute of International Education (IIE) and The Ohio State University’s Global One Health initiative (OSU-GOHi) in partnership with the Ministry of Education.
The workshop, led by experienced research administrators and senior research leaders from The Ohio State University, aimed to build the capacity of research administrators and enhance the research culture at Ethiopian public universities. The president of Europe Canadia Centre for Innovation and Research also shared insights as a research administrator from outside the United States.
Sessions included discussions on structuring research administration offices, managing research proposal writing, grant management, budgeting, research ethics, and regulatory compliance. The Ministry of Education’s Research Administration team presented key aspects of the Ministry’s research policies, strategies, and programs that guide research and innovation in Ethiopian higher education. Panel discussions were held on the opportunities and challenges of research in Ethiopian public universities, resulting in key recommendations to enhance the research and innovation ecosystem in Ethiopia.
The Ohio State University, a prominent public land grant university in the United States, administers an annual research budget exceeding $1.4 billion USD, largely sourced from U.S. federal agencies through competitive funding opportunities.
Since the proclamation in August 2023 for the transition of Ethiopia’s public universities to autonomous governance, the U.S. Embassy has supported the Ministry of Education and Ethiopian universities in developing leadership, management, and governance policies for successful independent institutions.
This educational partnership builds on a longstanding tradition of government-to-government, university-to-university, and faculty-to-faculty relationships that began in the 1950s with the establishment of Haramaya, Jimma, and Gondar Universities under the U.S. government’s Point Four program. The U.S. government and the American people have been dedicated to the advancement of higher education in Ethiopia throughout the 120-year bilateral relationship.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.