Brief History of the Institute

From time immemorial Ethiopia has been an area of inexhaustible, inquire for scholars of many lands, in subjects such as palanentology, archaeology, the origin of man early human history. During the 1960's scholars in different parts of the world have shown immense interest conducting direct field research in languages, history, archaeology and anthropology.

Besides the interest, the intimation of the University education in Adidas Ababa in 1950's and the increase research out put of foreigners and Ethiopian's created the need to systematize the funding and direction of research as well as to provide adequate information services. All these requirements led to the establishment of several research institutions in the country. The institute of Ethiopian studies (IES) was one of them, opened on the campus of Haile Selasse I University in 1963.

In a nutshell there are several factors that led to the establishment of the IES. The mains once are:

1. The need to conduct research, develop and organize a corpus of scholarly knowledge on Ethiopia had made a center, which focuses on Ethiopian studies a necessity.

2.  The need to promote and expand research in the various disciplines within the University itself.

3.  The need for awareness about the country's cultural heritage.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INSTITUTE

The Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES), the oldest of the five researches institutes within the Addis Ababa University system. The Institute was established to develop and operate the library and the museum, to publish the Journal of Ethiopian Studies and other publications, as well as to co-ordinate, and encourage research and serve as the center of Ethiopian studies at the national and international levels. Specifically the institute had the following Seven-fold objectives in the early phase of its history.

• To publish an inter-disciplinary periodical, the Journal of Ethiopian Studies, as well as other publications related to Ethiopia, including biographies, catalogues and other works of documentation.

• To maintain the University's specialist library on Ethiopia.

• To operate an Ethnological Museum, and related collections, and to assist and promote the organization of Ethiopian exhibitions both at home and abroad.

• To constitute a Research Unit, mainly in the field of history and related disciplines.

• To hold conferences, meetings and seminars.

• To handle questions connected with visiting scholars from abroad.

• To encourage interest and research on Ethiopian history and culture, and to correspond with relevant individuals and institutions

The Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) had come a long way in carrying out its mission since its founding in 1963. In view of its developments and the changing circumstances, the Institute required more fitting organizational set up, administrative autonomy, and a more streamlined set of objectives, focused on the humanities and cultural studies. Thus, the Senate of the University issued a statute defining the administrative autonomy of the Institute in 1995.

Based on the "Statute of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, 1995" which was issued by the AAU Senate on the 16th of August 1995, the Institute has the following two broad objectives:

1.      To conduct, promote and coordinate research and publication on Ethiopian Studies with special emphasis on the humanities and cultural studies; and

2.      To aid in the conservation of the Ethiopian cultural heritage by collecting, classifying, cataloguing, preserving and displaying in a museum objects reflecting the material and spiritual culture of the diverse nationalities of Ethiopia.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE INSTITUTE

Currently the IES is recognized as the official agent of the Addis Ababa University for the aim of promoting, conducting and co-ordination research and publications on Ethiopian studies. The institute is also Addis Ababa University's principal research and documentation institute in the field of the humanities and social sciences. Best known for its internationally famous Library, Anthropological Museum, and Gallery of Traditional Ethiopian Art, it is a well-established research center, involved in numerous scholarly programs

Besides its own research team, it participates in collaborative projects with other centers of learning and research, and is responsible for visiting scholars from many lands. It publishes the Journal of Ethiopian Studies and other works, and, every nine years, hosts both an International Conference of Ethiopian Studies and an International Conference on the History of Ethiopian Art, as well as other conferences, seminars and workshops.

To carry out its duties and responsibilities the IES, currently consists of an administrative unit whose main task is to assist and facilitate the activities and programs of the most important and larger units, compressing the research and publication department, the Library and the museum.

For more information contact office of the Director