20^th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

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THE CRITICAL ROLE OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT IN TRANSFORMING AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES THROUGH INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS: CASES FROM ETHIOPIA [Abstract ID: 0404-04]

SISAY Asefa, Director of the Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR), Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
TEREFE Degefa, Associate Professor of Population and Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

This paper explores the prevailing challenges and opportunities in creating high quality universities in Africa based on a case study of Ethiopian universities. The paper underscores academic quality and relevance as key determinants of universities and trusts that well-thought out partnerships with well-established universities would help support emerging universities. These partnership experiences include historical and current engagement of Addis Ababa University with Michigan Universities such as Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Western Michigan University and others in terms of graduate education and academic staff as well graduate students from attracted from Ethiopia. The paper engages with the important concept of economists that higher education is an important platform to develop and excel human capital which is a necessary precondition for sustainable development. Based on the notion of human capital development, the potential Ethiopia has to benefit from demographic dividend through well transformed university system that caters quality education to enable the youth is well noted and implicated.