The Politics of Higher Education Development in Ethiopia: A Critical Review
Presenter's country
Ethiopia
Start Date
27-5-2016 4:00 PM
End Date
27-5-2016 5:05 PM
Location
Hall I
Submission type
Presentation
Abstract
Higher education is instrumental to transform emerging economies such as Ethiopia’s. To this end, countries usually make a huge investment on their higher education institutions. Upon seizure of power in 1991, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) led government of Ethiopia is said to have engaged in higher education development. And, this has been expressed through the opening of new state Universities in nearly all corners of the country over the last over two decades. Nonetheless, what is there for higher education development beyond increasing number of public higher education institutions is an issue worth exploring. This paper intends to make a thorough and critical review of higher education development in Ethiopia under the incumbent regime. Using qualitative approach as its overarching framework and based on primary and secondary sources, the study deconstructs the argument that appears to take expansion of Universities in Ethiopia as all what is to be higher education development. Therefore, the paper generally examines three important questions. First, it seeks to examine the question of how gravely higher education has become at stake in Ethiopia. Second, it tries to discuss the major factors such as political, and socio-economic that has led to the current unhealthy status of higher education. Third, it makes an 18 analytical discussion of how the overall political system is the underlying cause behind the issue at hand. Finally, the paper concludes that unless genuine political liberalization is introduced and public higher education institutions are left free of political motivated goals and be highly autonomous, higher education in Ethiopia will remain at its peril.
The Politics of Higher Education Development in Ethiopia: A Critical Review
Hall I
Higher education is instrumental to transform emerging economies such as Ethiopia’s. To this end, countries usually make a huge investment on their higher education institutions. Upon seizure of power in 1991, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) led government of Ethiopia is said to have engaged in higher education development. And, this has been expressed through the opening of new state Universities in nearly all corners of the country over the last over two decades. Nonetheless, what is there for higher education development beyond increasing number of public higher education institutions is an issue worth exploring. This paper intends to make a thorough and critical review of higher education development in Ethiopia under the incumbent regime. Using qualitative approach as its overarching framework and based on primary and secondary sources, the study deconstructs the argument that appears to take expansion of Universities in Ethiopia as all what is to be higher education development. Therefore, the paper generally examines three important questions. First, it seeks to examine the question of how gravely higher education has become at stake in Ethiopia. Second, it tries to discuss the major factors such as political, and socio-economic that has led to the current unhealthy status of higher education. Third, it makes an 18 analytical discussion of how the overall political system is the underlying cause behind the issue at hand. Finally, the paper concludes that unless genuine political liberalization is introduced and public higher education institutions are left free of political motivated goals and be highly autonomous, higher education in Ethiopia will remain at its peril.