Suchergebnisse

Although there is a consensus that Africa has considerable intellectual resources in its diaspora, the benefit that the continent is garnering from it is limited for different reasons. The political climate in several countries and the absence of well-articulated strategies are among the main factors preventing the African knowledge diaspora from engaging with their home countries. Even when, occasionally, political relations improve—such as currently in Ethiopia, diaspora engagement in higher education is challenged by routine issues such as bureaucratic processes, the absence of a coordinating body, and a mismatch between demand and supply.

While Ethiopian higher education is hailed for its expansion in the past years, its quality remains seriously challenged. The supply of low quality teachers and ill-prepared students, along with the high demand for new teachers forcing the government to massively recruit mediocre graduates, continues the vicious circle.

Modern higher education in Ethiopia has a short history of a little over six decades. Over the past two decades there have been tremendous reforms that aimed at expanding and modernizing the higher education subsector to enable it make meaningful contributions for the country s development. On the other hand, in the past decade there has been a lot of debate on the nature of the Ethiopian developmental state. However, all the debates are focused on economic issues, leaving education out of the picture. It is against this background that this study attempts to shade a light on the nature of the Ethiopian higher education taking the perspective of the developmental state paradigm. Using the method of document analysis the findings of the study indicate that the Ethiopian higher education has strong indicia of the developmental state concept. The main characteristics of the Ethiopian higher education such as strong state control, central admission process, focus on certain priority areas, massive expansion, emphasis on technology transfer and using higher education to serve non economic national agendas typically correspond with that of developmental states. The study has also identified some inconsistencies and shortcomings. For instance the Ethiopian higher education falls short in terms of institutional diversity, adequacy of research on technology transfer, and the role of the private sector. Finally, some implications are highlighted that pinpoint the areas where more detailed policy research are necessary.

The literature on diaspora engagement in higher education focuses on broadenvironmental, policy, and institutional issues as critical determinants ofthe scope and efficiency of engagement. Using data from interviews with 16Ethiopian diaspora academics in the United States, this article undertakesa micro-examination of factors in their personal spaces and immediateenvironment that influence such engagement. Using a phenomenologicalapproach, it examines how professional, personal, familial and otherindividual attributes shape the trajectories of diaspora engagement. Itdemonstrates how nuances in personal and micro-environmental factorsshape motivation for, and sustenance of, engagement, while they maintaina complex and interdependent relationship. The article concludes byhighlighting the importance of a holistic approach to the study of diasporaengagement in higher education that pays attention to personal and microenvironmentalfactors as well as institutional, legal, and political issues. Key words: Ethiopia, Ethiopian diaspora, diaspora engagement, highereducation, transnational engagement