Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Ethiopia: A Research Framework
Presenter's country
Ethiopia
Start Date
27-5-2016 10:20 AM
End Date
27-5-2016 11:25 AM
Location
Hall II
Submission type
Presentation
Abstract
This paper provides a brief insight into the role of knowledge exchange and intergeneration knowledge link in attaining democratic, participatory good governance and sustainable holistic socio-economic development with a special focus on Ethiopia. The overall concept of the paper is designed as a framework for research on intergeneration knowledge link and exchange. The research framework identified network of actors, namely the knowledge system, society and institutions, whose interplay ascertain good governance and sustainable development it is also believed that the outcome of the research will be vital for policy makers, particularly for education and training institutes. The background of this paper is derived from suppositions that underscore sharing and linking knowledge across generation builds an invaluable social capital which every country relies on to sustain. Knowledge is a scarce resource that shall be wisely utilized to build a knowledge-based socio-economic system to which the 21st century stipulates as a comparative competitive advantage of any country. Moreover, democratic governance and sustainable development can only be attained and will be sustainable when it is based on knowledgeable critical thinkers and active participatory citizens. In view of this, the Ethiopian government has recently adopted a series of development strategies and five year plans, such as Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program (SDPRP), Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), and currently the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). Common to all are end poverty and ensure sustainable development and empower and increase citizens’ participation in development and governance. Moreover the GTP II in progress targets to build a knowledge-based and technology enhanced sustainable development and good governance. Besides, the Ethiopian education policy gives not only high emphasis to engineering and science, but also it prescribes that universities shall enroll up to 70 percent of students in science and engineering fields to attain rapidly transform the agro-based economy into agro-industrial and industrial system of development. With this Ethiopia is characterized by relative fast economic development, but also by steady growing enrollment particularly in engineering and science. Concerns are, however, the gaps between required highly experienced and qualified leaders, managers, engineers, teachers, researchers, laboratory experts, etc. and what the country currently employed and can employ in the public sectors. The challenges are also absence of any sort of policy efforts to effective utilize and mobilize the knowledge, skills and competencies of the country possesses. Prevailing paradoxical problems are migration of knowledgeable and experienced professionals from government institutions into NGOs and international organization and immigrating to other countries, mainly to the west, while Ethiopia intends to recruiting expatriates particularly teaching professionals for higher education institutions. , as senior lecturer, researchers and professors are either rarely seen or stay longer. The motivation of this paper is the prevailing crucial problems of shortage of knowledgeable professionals on one hand, and the untapped resources and the underutilized knowledge and skills of senior (retired) higher level managers and leaders, engineers, researchers, etc., which are social capital of the nation, on the other hand.
Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Ethiopia: A Research Framework
Hall II
This paper provides a brief insight into the role of knowledge exchange and intergeneration knowledge link in attaining democratic, participatory good governance and sustainable holistic socio-economic development with a special focus on Ethiopia. The overall concept of the paper is designed as a framework for research on intergeneration knowledge link and exchange. The research framework identified network of actors, namely the knowledge system, society and institutions, whose interplay ascertain good governance and sustainable development it is also believed that the outcome of the research will be vital for policy makers, particularly for education and training institutes. The background of this paper is derived from suppositions that underscore sharing and linking knowledge across generation builds an invaluable social capital which every country relies on to sustain. Knowledge is a scarce resource that shall be wisely utilized to build a knowledge-based socio-economic system to which the 21st century stipulates as a comparative competitive advantage of any country. Moreover, democratic governance and sustainable development can only be attained and will be sustainable when it is based on knowledgeable critical thinkers and active participatory citizens. In view of this, the Ethiopian government has recently adopted a series of development strategies and five year plans, such as Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program (SDPRP), Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), and currently the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). Common to all are end poverty and ensure sustainable development and empower and increase citizens’ participation in development and governance. Moreover the GTP II in progress targets to build a knowledge-based and technology enhanced sustainable development and good governance. Besides, the Ethiopian education policy gives not only high emphasis to engineering and science, but also it prescribes that universities shall enroll up to 70 percent of students in science and engineering fields to attain rapidly transform the agro-based economy into agro-industrial and industrial system of development. With this Ethiopia is characterized by relative fast economic development, but also by steady growing enrollment particularly in engineering and science. Concerns are, however, the gaps between required highly experienced and qualified leaders, managers, engineers, teachers, researchers, laboratory experts, etc. and what the country currently employed and can employ in the public sectors. The challenges are also absence of any sort of policy efforts to effective utilize and mobilize the knowledge, skills and competencies of the country possesses. Prevailing paradoxical problems are migration of knowledgeable and experienced professionals from government institutions into NGOs and international organization and immigrating to other countries, mainly to the west, while Ethiopia intends to recruiting expatriates particularly teaching professionals for higher education institutions. , as senior lecturer, researchers and professors are either rarely seen or stay longer. The motivation of this paper is the prevailing crucial problems of shortage of knowledgeable professionals on one hand, and the untapped resources and the underutilized knowledge and skills of senior (retired) higher level managers and leaders, engineers, researchers, etc., which are social capital of the nation, on the other hand.