Message from the President

Since my appointment as the president of Addis Ababa University, more than six months ago, I have come to learn that I am not only privileged, but I am also in charge of a big institution that occupies diverse members of the community. With more than 50,000 students, AAU is one of the oldest and largest universities in Africa. With the vision to be a pre-eminent African research university and having taken the confident decision to place graduate programs at the heart of its strategic plan, the university offers over 36 undergraduate and 220 graduate degree programs, out of which 69 are PhD and 151 masters.

The global climate in which universities operate is changing drastically. Universities’ roles in advancing national economic knowledge, innovative enterprises and international competitiveness are increasing. Ethiopian higher education institutions are also expected to be at the forefront of development issues and alleviating poverty in the country.

To this effect, AAU has been a leader in institutional transformation during the last three years. Significant achievements have been accomplished, but many feel that it has not been enough and many gaps and challenges remain. This sends a strong message to our university community that we, together with our stakeholders, work effectively and efficiently to educate and nurture our students, to create knowledge and provide services to our community and beyond. In order to successfully achieve this, the University has planned to prepare a strategic plan of the University for the next five years on the basis the Balance Scorecard (BSC) tool, an integrated strategic planning and management system.  Many organizations around the world, (both public and private) have applied the BSC tool and achieved their visions effectively and efficiently. We believe that, this tool together with our motivated staffs and efficient internal and external communication, will also make us a high performing organization.  Practical trainings on BSC have already been conducted to introduce the features, underlying principles and application procedures of the tool, to different top management positions and some selected academic staffs in the University.

Aligning academic programs and research priorities with the government’s five-year Growth and Transformation Plan is critical to improving the livelihoods of our communities. Our research profiles should include bringing together multidisciplinary teams from industry, business and professional institutions in order to work on projects that enhance university-community partnerships. Extending research results into profitable markets and services through science parks and incubation centers are crucial to enhancing development efforts in the country. We should also be convinced that in the future, universities will be evaluated by the nature and quality of their international relationships. Currently, AAU is actively pursuing the establishment of a network of collaborative teaching and research partnerships with leading countries around the world.

Our Country and the community need us more than ever - we must fundamentally reinvent our institution. Numerous challenges lie ahead but I am confident that the enthusiasm and the strength of the University community will enable me to thrive in this ever-changing environment. I very much look forward to meeting more new friends and colleagues to bring institutional transformation to the betterment of ourselves and the Ethiopian community.

Admasu Tsegaye (PhD)