BY SOLOMON DIBABA
I recently came across media coverage on a conference of Ethiopian professors here and in the diaspora. And a couple of days back a similar meeting of Ethiopian intellectuals was conducted here in Addis. I tried to reassess the general contributions hitherto made by the Ethiopian intelligentsia to date.
Ethiopia has been producing its own learned people usually termed as intellectuals since early 1940s. Since those days, the country’s modern education system has continued to change from the imperial era to Derge, EPRDF and now under a government that is conducting extensive reform programs in the federal system.
It possesses some 50 public universities and scores of private universities and colleges graduating more than 100,000 students who specialize in different areas of humanitarian, natural and physical science. Notwithstanding the immense development needs the country has and in spite of the fact that major public services are being staffed by locally produced graduates.
I think that the Ethiopian intellectuals here and abroad are still at the periphery when it comes to their role in nation building in Ethiopia, but why?
There are several reasons as to why there is a huge discrepancy between the country’s needs for professionals and the state of affairs in the intellectual community in the country.
The first reason is the dichotomy between politics and the national education system. The imperial regime totally ignored the contribution of the indigenous education and embraced what it called modern education, a direct copy first from the French, the British and later the US followed by the Soviet education system, compromising quality education at all stages.
Throughout the last five decades persons of various qualifications at relatively higher level were posted in offices also meddling in local politics. Education was politicized discouraging professionalism.
Second, in all the three political regimes, the Ethiopian intellectuals were forced into exile because politics over ruled intellectual development enforcing unprecedented brain drain particularly during Derge era. Therefore, Ethiopian intellectuals remained divided not only physically but also in terms of ethnic identity.
Third, lack of national vision which could embrace the intellectuals here and abroad, all the past regimes depended on benchmarking development programs on various models which did not tally with the objective reality in the country. Educational trainings were mostly bookish and focused on theory instead of practical science.
Fourth, Ethiopian intellectuals of these days are victims of ethnic divide and instead of developing a united front of intellectuals at national level; ethnic based associations were formed in each regional state focusing basically on regional issues.
Besides, Ethiopian intellectual lack a system of sharing research resources which in many cases led to duplication of efforts in scientific research. It is regrettable to observe that many of the research outputs on which millions of cash have been expended remained on shelf.
Lack of strong institutional operational relations between various institutions of higher learning and research centers discouraged information sharing between researchers and learning outcomes from the researches are only occasionally replicated to the skill needs of ordinary Ethiopia’s.
As well, Ethiopian intellectuals need to establish a national forum that can serve as a think tank for supporting targeted socio-economic plans of the country including the Ten Years National Plan. Establishing a forum may sound easy but could take time and efforts.
Such forum also need to prepare a national action plan in coordination with government sector offices to come up with a meaningful results from which the country can benefit.
They can render huge contributions in promoting quality education in Ethiopia with particular focus on public and private universities which are expected to produce highly qualified manpower that the country needs.
The role of women intellectuals in socio-economic development is even worse. No doubt, there are some improvements here and there but the country has a long way to go before women intellectuals can play a greater role in the country’s development programs.
Intellectuals have always been subject to political pressures from ruling parties and opposition parties alike. Many highly qualified specialists in Ethiopia have ended up being politicians and many of them were not successful at it. Ethiopian scientists will serve their country at best by choosing the areas in which they can contribute to the development of their country.
They need to focus on their role as citizens of this country instead of resorting to priorities and issues that relate to their respective ethnic identities. This world outlook is key to the overall development of the country and the strategic interests of the nation.
As citizens the educated Ethiopians may have diverse interests of their own but they should work together to upkeep the national interest of the country which could benefit the entire population of the country.
The Ethiopian Herald February 13/2021
