Addis Ababa University conferred Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa up on Professor Asmerom Legesse, the pioneer of Gada studies, in views of his significant scholarly contribution to the knowledge of Gada as an indigenous socioeconomic and political institution.

Addis Ababa University President, prof. Tassew Wolde Hanna speaking on the occasion said,”Today, we are greatly honored to receive as Addis Ababa University’s special guest, Professor Asmerom Legesse, who conducted many years of field research among the Borana Oromo of Ethiopia and Kenya spent half a century of studying one of the African indigenous socioeconomic political system, the Gada as a unique democratic system, thus contributed to a scholarly world.”

“what makes his work unique is that he is a Non-Oromo scholar, a pioneer to study Oromo’s democratic institutions; thus contributed a lot for Ethiopian studies in general and Oromo Studies in particular,” added Prof. Tassew.

Prof. Asmarom Legesse is an anthropologist, Ph.D. Harvard, Emeritus Professor, formerly of Boston and Northwestern Universities and Swarthmore College. He has conducted many years of field research among the Oromo of Ethiopia and Kenya.

Two of his impactful works are Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society and Oromo Democracy: an Indigenous African Political System.

Prof. Asmarom chose to undertake this study, Gada System, partly because of the fact that his great grandfather pator Zera-tsion Musie was a close colleague of Onesmos Nesib who translated Bible in to Afan Oromo. Both were teachers at a women’s School in Emkullu Eriterea.

Government officials including Lemma Megersa, President of Oromia Regional State, Aba Gadas and university community attended the ceremony held on Dec. 18, 2018 at Mekonnen Hall, Main Campus