Guided by the spirit of Creating an Autonomous University and fostering Academic freedom, Addis Ababa University (AAU) has been and will continue to organize Monthly Seminars on Issues of National, Regional and Global Importance. In its endeavor to become the Nation’s first Flagship Autonomous University, AAU encourages its faculty and interested intellectuals to share view on various topics to the University Community and develop the culture of intellectual discourse.

Interested faculty and intellectuals (including Public Intellectuals) should submit their topic and summary of their talking points on or before December 10, 2023. Two or more individuals can collaborate to speak on a topic and address the different aspects of their chosen area. Selected Speakers will be notified of additional details that would help them prepare in due course.

Topics for the Academic year 2023/24 should address the following five categories. Topics under these categories should cover, but not limited to, areas of the following indicative topics:

A. Emerging and Next Generation Technology 

1. The Peril and Prospect of Artificial Intelligence for developing Countries; Implication for expanding access and enhancing quality of education.
2. Artificial Intelligence and Human Civilization
3. Products and Production System with emergence Nanotechnology and material science

B. Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability

1. Global Climate Crisis and its impact on rainfed Agriculture and Remedies
2. Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiatives: Lesson from and for other nations
3. Can and Should Capitalism balance among the objectives Profit, Planet and People?

C. History and Sociology of Nation Building 

1. Nation Building and The Need for National Dialogue, The Quest for Closing the Past Chapter and Charting a new future
2. Lesson from History: Is it an effort of Understanding a common past or Consensus of shared future, or Both?
3. The Quagmire of Internal Conflict in Ethiopia: Can peace over war be a choice for stable government and sustainable development of Ethiopia?
4. Ethiopia’s urban and industrial transition

D. Changing World Order    

1. Regional Integration and Free Trade Agreements as an Enabler for the Africa we want Agenda
2. The Creation of multi polar world: How should Developing Nations cope and position themselves?

E. Education and Human Capital Development

1. Decolonizing the curriculum for Quality Education for a flagship University?
2. The Challenge of fast paced Technology Development making Program & Curricula relevance a difficult task
3. Seizing a Demographic Dividend through investment on the youth, how much and by whom?

Please send to: brook.lemma@aau.edu.et or  dinkineh.hailu@aau.edu.et