The Institute of Regional and Local Development Studies (IRLDS) has been set up jointly by Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, The Netherlands in 1996. It is part of the AAU/ISS Project entitled “Capacity Building for Training and Policy Research in Regional and Local Development Studies in Ethiopia.” The Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation has been funding IRLDS until 2004. The general objective of the Institute is to produce highly qualified persons in the fields of Regional and Local Development, who will be competent in promoting and managing socio-economic development at sub national levels in Ethiopia, through the development of interdisciplinary education and research. In the long run it is envisaged to broaden the program to development studies for the countries in the Horn and Eastern Africa.