The perils and promises of becoming an autonomous university

International Journal of Educational Reform

This article discusses and analyzes the state of university autonomy in Ethiopia at a time when the country has embarked on massive expansion of the sector, and universities are established out of urban centers based on regional equity. Legislative provisions and case study reports were reviewed, and lived experiences documented with emphasis on academic, financial, staffing, and governance matters. Following, generalizations were made in order that the country benefits out of the sector.

Focusing on modern-day political provisions that are imposed on higher education, I will give a brief overview for an otherwise broad and contentious issue; the contemporary challenges of present-day higher education, and particularly higher education in Addis Ababa University (AAU).

The Teacher, Vol 6, No 12, 2014

The need for changes in the governance of the Ethiopian education system has been emphasized as early as 1994 in the Ethiopian Education and Training Policy (ETP) which may be regarded as the precursor to many of the policies and changes within the education sector. However, it is the directions set in the Higher Education Proclamations of 2003 and 2009 that have clearly outlined the mechanisms by which Ethiopian universities should be governed. This paper outlines some of the major features and changes in the area and explores how much the principles and aspirations laid down have been translated into action in light of international trends. The focus areas chosen for discussion are the issues of autonomy, accountability and governance structures both at system and institutional level. The study exclusively dwells on public universities and draws its information from secondary sources. It is structured in a manner that discusses trends within the international literature followed by the actual practices in the Ethiopian set up. The conclusions drawn are offered at the end.

The Ethiopian predicament in establishing a service university is a function of several mismatches between university, society and state: (a) between society's mainly low-tech agricultural production and the university's production of academics; (b) between the state's need for investment finances in new economic activities and the lack thereof; (c) between the state and the university in terms of proper governance and how organisational changes in higher education should be made; and (d) different opinions between state and university about the proper balance between individual academic freedom, institutional autonomy and accountability to society and state. Turning mismatches into constructive national development suggests that the government should attract foreign capital for new production activities, under the specific condition that the foreigners should simultaneously invest a certain percentage in the country's higher education development. An important structural change would be to establish a dynamic and competent decision-making body at government level for science, technology and competence production. Donor countries and agencies ought to be encouraged to support Ethiopian development projects where research, tertiary-level training and business projects can work in an integrated fashion and where the Ethiopian 'surplus' academic workforce power could be applied abroad.

2017

The article attempts to explore the overall patterns of governance of higher education institutions in Ethiopia in the recent past that witnessed the massification of higher education institutions, and to investigate and display the change and continuity that have been observed in the governance of these institutions. It tries to offer some insight concerning the governance aspect in the ever-expanding and the most pressing issue of the Ethiopian higher education system. The paper presents a snapshot of the contemporary higher education development in the past two decades and associated features in Ethiopia by identifying the central issues related to principally governance, the legal framework and the political context. As the boom of higher education in the country became prevalent the governance bottleneck is one evident issue that vehemently impacts the missions of the institutions. The indispensable governance issues did not equally accompany the expansion of the higher educati...

Journal of Higher Education in Africa

The article attempts to explore the overall patterns of governance of higher education institutions in Ethiopia in the recent past that witnessed the massification of higher education institutions, and to investigate and display the change and continuity that have been observed in the governance of these institutions. It tries to offer some insight concerning the governance aspect in the ever-expanding and the most pressing issue of the Ethiopian higher education system. The paper presents a snapshot of the contemporary higher education development in the past two decades and associated features in Ethiopia by identifying the central issues related to principally governance, the legal framework and the political context. As the boom of higher education in the country became prevalent the governance bottleneck is one evident issue that vehemently impacts the missions of the institutions. The indispensable governance issues did not equally accompany the expansion of the higher educati...

Working Papers in Higher Education Studies, 2015

Authority is an important topic of research in the field of higher education. The main discussion of this paper centres on explaining the authority scheme of Ethiopian universities from a sociological point of view using Weber's model of authority structures. It gives due emphasis to presenting a comprehensive view of the three ideal types of authority; traditional, charismatic and rational-legal. The dynamic relationship between these types of authority within higher education institutions (HEIs) is analysed both as a source of cooperation and tension. The paper also compares the authority structures within the Ethiopian context based on time factor and institutional diversity. It also reflects on the contrast between this context and the general European higher education environment. Finally, the paper's concluding remarks suggest the need to improve the relationship between the types of authority in a manner that promotes the academic development of students. It also attempts to predict the future direction of Weber's theory by analysing the question of authority structures

Leuven University Press, 2020

There is a massive higher education expansion in Ethiopia. However, the efforts to expand higher education are characterized by great opportunities and significant challenges. The current higher education policy formulation and practice are the result of long history of traditional education in Ethiopia, the western countries' influence and the current opportunities and challenges observed in the sector. Thus, to formulate and enact workable higher education policy in Ethiopia, one must understand the trends of higher education in Ethiopia with emphasis on purposes, challenges and achievements. The article, therefore, tries to pinpoint the history of Ethiopian higher education and concludes with recommendations for current efforts to improve higher education in the country.