U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Academy of Science (EAS) are conducting a five-day consultative workshop (February 24 – 28, 2025) for presidents and leaders from nine of Ethiopia’s leading public universities. This workshop marked the culmination of the first phase of the U.S. Embassy’s $522,000 grant with EAS, which supports the universities’ transition to autonomous governance. A team of four experts, comprised of local, U.S., and international higher education experts, shared their insights and recommendations on the nine universities’ draft strategic plans and legislative policies through both general sessions and individual consultations.

During the opening session of the workshop, U.S. Ambassador Ervin J. Massinga stated that “while establishing the regulatory framework for university autonomy was a significant undertaking, the real challenge lies ahead.” Translating these regulations into tangible change requires navigating a complex and unprecedented transformation of 47 diverse public universities across the country.