The Department of Philosophy hosts a number of public lectures, conferences and seminars each year. To mention but a few examples, the Department of Philosophy organized a seminar on African Philosophy from December 1-3, 1976. The Proceedings of the Seminar were published under the title: Sumner, Claude (ed.). 1980. African Philosophy. La philosophieafricaine (English and French). Proceedings of the Seminar on African Philosophy, Addis Ababa, 1-3 December 1976, Addis Ababa: Chamber Printing House.

The Department also organized an International conference onthe Problematics of African Philosophy from December 1-4, 1996 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The proceedings of the conference were published under the following title: Sumner, Claude and Samuel WoldeYohannes (eds.). Perspectives in African Philosophy: An Anthology on “Preblematics of an African Philosophy: Twenty Years After (1976-1996).” Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University Printing Press, 2002, pp. 108-122.

Furthermore, the Department organized the 7^th Annual Conference of the International Society of African Philosophy and Studies from March 9-12, 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and published the proceedings of this conference: Gutema, Bekele and Daniel Smith (eds.). African Philosophy at the Threshold of the New Millennium: Papers of the 7^th Annual Conference of the International Society for African Philosophy and Studies. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University Printing Press, 2005.

Furthermore, the Department of Philosophy organized seminars on teaching through discussion from December 15, 2004 to January 1^st, 2005. A world renowned philosopher from France, Professor Oscar Brenifier,the founder of the Institute of Philosophical Practice in France, came to Ethiopia and shared his knowledge and wisdom with the Addis Ababa University community and students and teachers of some elementary and high schools in Addis Ababa. The Department organized various workshops which he led for two weeks. The workshops involved professional philosophers and educationalists along with working teachers at various levels and a group of kids from a few of the local schools in Addis Ababa. The Department also organized various discussion sessions with AAU students. Some students and teachers were trained to be trainers and receivedcertificates.

Moreover, the  Department of Philosophy of Addis Ababa University and the Council for Research in Value and Philosophy of the Catholic University of America organized an international seminar on “The Vocation of Philosophy and Global Challenges” from November 15 to 16, 2012. Local and International colleagues from the US, South Africa, and Lebanon participated in this seminar.  The proceedings of this seminar will be published in 2017.

The members of the Philosophy Department are also frequently involved in conferences devoted to different topics in Ethiopia and in other countries.

Moreover, sometimes the department invites renowned speakers who deliver public lectures and who also meet with faculty and students to discuss their works. For instance,

Dr. Gail Presbey of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, delivered a Public Lecture on “African Philosophy: From its Beginnings to Contemporary Times” in April 1996.

Professor Holmes Rolston, III, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Colorado State University, delivered a Public Lecture on “Environmental Ethics in the Developing World” on 26 June 2003.

Professor Robin Attfield of Cardiff University gave a Public Lectureon “Sustainable Development and Environmental Ethics” on April 18, 2006.

Professor Johan Hattingh of Stellenbosch University gave a Public Lecture on “The Sustainable Development Paradigm in Business Decision Making: Moving Towards a New Ethics, or Another Case of Smoke and Mirrors?” on November 30, 2005.

Professor Hugh McDonald of New York City College of Technology gave a Public Lecture on “Radical Axiology as an Environmental First Philosophy” on April 14, 2009.

Dr.Christopher Bernard gave a public lecture on “Justification, Religious Belief and Practical Interest” in November 2010.

Professor Edward Alam of Notre Dame -Louaizé University, Lebanon delivered a public lecture on “Purifying the Concept of Development: the Vocation of Religion and Culture” on January 29, 2010.

Mr. Tedla Gebreyesus, a PhD Student at Saint Louis University, USA, gave a Public Lecture on “Science Evidence vis-à-vis Evidence for Religious Belief” on December 23, 2010.

Professor Mogobe Ramose of the University of South Africa (UNISA) delivered a Public Lecture on “Philosophy in the Present Situation of Africa” on March 31, 2011.  He also gave a Public lecture on “Liberating philosophy from Philosophy” in 2012.

Dr. Armand Clesse, Director of the Luxemburg Institute for European and International Studies gave a Public Lecture on “Values and Norms for Decent International Society”on February 2, 2012.

Dr. Christopher Bernard presented a Paper on “Learning from Others: Knowledge and the Nature of Testimony” on May 17, 2012.

Dr. Robert Laurence Gallagher of American University of Beirut gave a Public Lecture on “New Theory of Economic Justice” in April 2013.

Professor Mogobe Ramose of the University of South Africa (UNISA) delivered a Public Lecture on “In Praise of Money” on April 25, 2014.

Dr. Mezgebu Kassa Feleke of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, gave a Public Lecture on “Theanthropic Ethics in Conversation with Autonomy and Heteronomy” on May 17, 2014.

Dr. Bekele Gutema of the Department of Philosophy at Addis Ababa University gave a Public Lecture on “Hermeneutics and African Philosophy” in March 2014.

Professor Stephane Symons presented on “Walter Benjamin and the Utopian Thinking” in October 2016.

Professor Benjamin Schewel, Affiliate Scholar, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia presented two papers on “Seven Narratives of Religion” and “The Post-Secular Condition” on March 16 and 23, 2016 respectively.

REV. DR. EDWIN GEORGE, Principal / Dean of Don Bosco Institute of Philosophy in Nigeria gave a Public Lecture on “The Core of Indian Philosophy and Its Great Religious Traditions” on July 05, 2016.

During the inauguration Ceremony of PhD Program in Philosophy, four papers were presented:

Dr. Setargew Kenaw presented a Paper titled “Electronic Panopticon: Extent and Levels of Control over Cyberspace” on December 10, 2016.

Dr. Dagnachew Assefa presented a Paper on “Philosophy of Education” on December 10, 2016.

Dr. Dawit Wondimagegn, an MA student of Philosophy in the Department, presented a Paper on “Medical Ethics” on December 10, 2016.

Mr. Yosef Sintayehu, a PhD student in the Department, presented a Paper on “What is to be a Scholar?” on December 10, 2016.

Dr. Dan Demetriou of the University of Minnesota, Morris, delivered a Public Lecture on “Honor as a Masculine Ethic: Philosophical Implications of an Evolutionary Theory of Agonistic Norms” on June 18, 2017.

Dr. Christian Lee of Western Washington University delivered a Public Lecture on “Bare-Difference Reasoning and Reasons for Action: Must a Reason for Acting in One Case be a Reason for Acting in All?” on June 18, 2017.

Professor Edward Alam of Notre Dame University, LEBANON, delivered a Public Lecture on “African Philosophy as Dialogical Conversation: Facing Contemporary African Challenges” on October 17, 2017.

Five Exchange Students (three students from Germany: Malin Sophie Fischer, Ursula Christine Patricia Hagen and Deepak Kumar Mohapa) and (two philosophy Graduate Students: Abdi Kitessa and Fraol Abdissa) presented papers on the theme “Shaping Sustainable Energy Supply in a Global Context” on November 21, 2017.

Furthermore, the Department of Philosophy has celebrated World Philosophy Day since 2003, on the third Thursday of November. It has organized workshops consisting of speeches of invited guests, public lectures, student essays, and concerts by local musicians at different times. Both public and private media have covered the events. UNESCO and the AAU Administration have supported these events at different times.

Some of our honorary guest speakers include Dr. Melaku Worede, Ethiopian conservationist and geneticist, the former Director of Plant Genetic Resources Centre and an International Member of FAO Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture [he was also awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1989], Professor Andreas Eshete, the former President of Addis Ababa University and UNESCO Chair for Human Rights and Democracy and Mr. Alemayehu Minas, the former Secretary-general of Ethiopian National Agency for UNESCO,  in 2003; W/o Marta Mengesha, Representative of Ethiopian National Agency for UNESCO, in 2004; Professor Andreas Eshete, Mr. Awad Elhassan, UNESCO’s Director and Representative to Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somali and to AU and ECA in 2006, and Dr. TarekegnTadesse, the former President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, in 2011, Professor Tassew Weldehana, the President of Addis Ababa University and Ms. Ana Elisa Santana De Afonso, Representative to Ethiopia and Director of the UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in 2018.

Among others, the following speakers presented papers during world philosophy days at AAU:

Andreas Eshete delivered a Paper on “Nietzsche on the Political Origins of Morality” on November 20, 2003.

Rahel Titilayo Ogundipe Lesile presented a Paper on “The Significance of Philosophy for African Universities” on November 20, 2003.

Professor Endashaw Bekele presented a Paper on “Fundamentals and Confusions in Research and Development Issues: Experience from Ethiopia” on November 18, 2004

Mr. Daniel Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the AAU, presented a Paper on “Universities and Development: From Aristotle’s ‘Divine Science’ to the Globalized ‘Knowledge Economy’” on November 18, 2004

Dr. Ulrich Muller-Scholll presented a Paper on “The Concept of Progress and the Role of Philosophy” on November 16, 2006.

Mr. Daniel Smith presented a Paper on “Culture, Conflict and Democracy” on November 16, 2006.

Dr. Christopher Bernard presented a Paper on “Does the Existence of Suffering Disprove the Existence of God” on November 17, 2011.

Mr. Beniam Mekonen presented a Paper on “Public Sphere and the Culture Industry” on November 17, 2011.

In relation to the celebration of Philosophy Day, the Department of Philosophy organized a workshop on “Philosophy in Education System: Roles, Challenges and Experiences” on 23 November 2013.

Dr. Tenna Dewo presented a Paper on “The Study of Philosophy: Challenges and Experiences” on November 23, 2013.

Dr. Christopher Bernard presented a Paper on “Philosophy Teaching in the US” on November 23, 2013.

Ato Hannibal Bekele presented a Paper on “In Defence of Philosophy: The Role of Philosophy in Current Ethiopia” on November 23, 2013.

Dr. Jonathan D. Trigg presented a Paper on “What is a Philosophy and Why is a Philosophy Important?” on November 16, 2017.

Dr. Theodros Assefa presented a Paper on “The Myth of Social Mobility: A Dialogue with Messay Kebede” on November 16, 2017.

Dr. Jonathan David Trigg presented a Paper entitled: “Living Together Well: The Philosophical Foundations of Genuine Community” on November 15, 208.

Dr. Christopher Bernard delivered a Paper entitled: “Is the Incarnation a Contradiction?” on November 15, 208.

Ato Fasil Merawi, a member of the Department and second year PhD Student, presented a Paper entitled: “Intercultural Discourse, Critique, Emancipation and Inclusion of the Other” on November 15, 208.

The Department has also organized a campus wide student essay competition since 2003 on different subjects including the Contributions of Native Ethiopian Philosophers, Zera Yaeqob and Wolde Hiwot; Why I want to Study Philosophy? Culture and philosophy, “How Can We Best manage Diversities for Peaceful Co-existence in Ethiopia” and the like during the celebration of World Philosophy Day and at other times. UNESCO, AAU and Professor G. E. Gorfu supported some of these events.

Moreover, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Philosophical Association, the Department has organized several public lectures.