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Newsletter
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Newsletter
Assefa Mehretu
Executive Director
How countries cope with the challenges of globalization would depend on the competitive, absorptive and filtering capacities of their progressive and enabling institutions. An enlightened self interest in international relations in culture, diplomacy, technology, trade and aid would be served only when the transacting partners are equipped with institutions that effectively carry out the job of scanning from what is available and select those that are relevant and useful for conditions in the country. For those countries which are capable of filtering the relevant from the less relevant in their country’s self interest, the reward is enhancing of the nation’s development and progress. For those who fail to do so, the experience can be damaging and regressive.
The difference lies in the function of the human capital resources that a country can muster to monitor its priorities and to distill from the avalanche of ideas those that are crucial for its progress and wellbeing. The role of higher education is to supply and replenish this critical human capital. It is inconceivable for any country in this day-and-age to cope with globalization and its demands without the benefit of a vibrant and functional system of higher education. The deep commitment of the state and the private sector to the Ethiopian system of higher education and the availability of the requisite resources are prerequisites for the university system to measure up to the rigorous demands of the imploding world system and its highly competitive and often intrusive process of globalization. Ethiopia cannot ignore this eventuality unless it chooses to be left behind and become marginalized from the dynamics global progress. Higher education is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity.
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*Editorial opinion is solely that of the author. It does not reflect the position of EAF.
EAF International Conference on Contemporary Development Issues in Ethiopia, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 16-18, 2001
Sisay Asefa
EAF Vice Chairperson
The first EAF International Conference on Contemporary Development Issues in Ethiopia, convened on August 16-18,2001 on Western Michigan University Campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The conference attracted scholars from all parts of the World. Participants, (defined as presenters, session chairs and discussants), came from North America, Europe, Asia, Ethiopia and other African countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe. Most of the participants were Ethiopian scholars working in institutions of research and higher education around the world. The conference planning process began over a year ago when an open International Call for Papers and Participation was first posted on the Internet. The conference featured 12 plenary sessions and about 50 papers on the various dimensions of development focused on Ethiopia with implications for other African states with similar conditions. The papers during the first day also included contributions to the international workshop on "Managing Natural Resources for Sustainable Agriculture in African Highland Eco-systems", that convened in conjunction with the Conference.
The interdisciplinary conference dealt with various sub-themes of the general conference theme over three days. The first day featured papers on "Natural Resources, Agriculture and Food Security Issues". There were five sessions that comprise of two sessions on Natural Resource Management Issues, one session on Agricultural Technology and Markets, a session on Food Security and Food Aid, and a roundtable session on "Key Research and Development Issues in Natural Resources and Agriculture" The first of two keynote addresses on the topic of " The State of Agricultural Research in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for Ethiopia" was delivered by Professor Gebisa Ejeta of Purdue University during the first day. The second day focused on "Human Resource, Economics, and Technology Issues", which featured four plenary sessions that comprised to two sessions on human resource development Issues, one session on Macroeconomic Development and Private Sector Reform, and a session on Science and Technology for Development. The second key note address on the topic of "Financial Reforms in Pre-Emerging Economies of Africa: Lessons and Opportunities for Ethiopia" was delivered by Professor Lemma W. Senbet of the University of Maryland-College Park during the second day. The focus of the third and final day was on " Institutions, Politics, and Diaspora Issues". It featured three plenary sessions: a session on "Institutions, Organizations and Civil Society", a session on "The State of the Ethiopian State", and roundtable session on "The Diaspora and the Development of Ethiopia: Challenges and Opportunities"
The conference was made possible with the co-sponsorship of the Ethiopian American Foundation (EAF) and the financial support of various academic offices and units of Western Michigan University (WMU). These included the offices of the President, Provost, Vice President of Research, Haenicke Institute for International and Area Studies, Department of Economics, International Affairs, Center for African Development Research (CADPR), and the African Studies Center at Michigan State University. CADPR was the main coordinating academic unit.
A three-volume proceedings that contains 52 papers contributed to the conference has been prepared. Most of the papers in the proceedings were presented in the various sessions of the conference, but a few of the papers were contributed in absentia.
The papers are included in the proceedings unedited or as presented by the author(s). They are classified into three volumes as follows: VOLUME I: 1. Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Food Security Issues, VOLUME II: Human Resources, Economics, and Technology Issues, VOLUME III: Institutions, Politics, and Diaspora Issues. Volume I contains 20 papers classified into three sub-themes, Volume II contains 22 papers classified into three sub-themes, and Volume III contains 10 papers classified into two sub-themes, as shown on the page that follows this foreword.
The 3-volume proceedings can be ordered by contacting Ms. Rena Lynema
(e-mail:RENA.LYNEMA@WMICH.EDU) or by completing an order form that can be down loaded from CADPR website at: WWW.WMICH.EDU/HCENTER/CADPR/PROCEEDINGS.HTML
The EAF Board has committed itself to undertake such a conference on a bi-annual basis. At it’s meeting of September 29, 2001 in Canton, Michigan, the Board decided to convene the Second International Conference on Contemporary Development Issues on August 1-2, 2003. The Board discussed alternative venue options for the next conference, and decided to hold the second bi-annual conference at Western Michigan University. The EAF Board, however, agreed to explore the idea of holding the Third International Conference in Ethiopia in 2005.
EAF Finances
Asrat Tessema/EAF Treasurer
I want to remind regular members to remember their dues and send them on time. Some of our regular and student members are in arrears. We need to maintain a certain level of the capital funds to be able to finance the Annual Foundation Fellows in Ethiopian Universities. For this academic year, we have disbursed $2,400 (see below). Our investments in the indexed mutual funds have lost some value as was the case for most Wall-Street investments.
Financial Summary
Pledges and Receipts as of December 31, 2001
Member Number of Pledge* Collected
| Category Members | To-date To-date** |
| Lifetime | 5 25,000 19,000 |
| Founding | 32 32,000 23,570 |
| Founding (reg fee exten) | 780 |
| Honorary | 26 --- 9,060 |
| Regular | 14 --- 4,580 |
| Student | 6 --- 620 |
| Sustaining | 6 --- 380 |
| Total | 89 57,000 57,990 |
* Figures rounded to nearest whole dollar.
At any time, members may request information on the balance of their membership contributions and on the total EAF accumulation. The treasurer would be happy to send a certification of receipt for donations in cash and/or kind for your tax reporting purposes. EAF is a tax exempt organization. Members who need any information on EAF finances including their pledge status may contact the Treasurer at any time at the address provided above.
We urge you to keep your payments up so that yields from the invested funds and CDs would enable EAF to maintain the Fellowship program without interruption.
Member News
We are happy to report that Dr. Daniel Teferra and Mrs. Yeshareg Demissie, who are among the founders of EAF, have now upgraded their membership from Founding to Lifetime Founding membership with a pledge to pay $5,000 toward the capital funds. EAF thanks Daniel and Yeshareg for their generosity. We wish to encourage other regular and founding members to do likewise by moving up to higher categories of membership. Welcome new EAF members Dr. Mesfin G. Mariam, Dr. Mulugeta Wodajo, …….
Dr. Sisay Asefa, EAF Vice Chair, is currently in Ethiopia on Fulbright sabbatical. He is accompanied by his wife W/o Wogayehu. Dr. Asrat Tessema, EAF Treasurer, Dr. Ayalew Kanno and his wife W/o Yewbdar, and Dr. Tesfaye Teklu, all members of EAF, have been to Ethiopia during the year.
From the Secratariat
Assefa Mehretu/Executive Secretary
The EAF Research Support Fellowship
EAF has launched the sixth round of the EAF Research Support Fellowship Program. Five sets of grants with a total of 20 grants have been made since the academic year of 1997-98. We continue to collaborate with the Institute of Development Research of Addis Ababa University to administer the Fellowship program. We would like to remind our members that EAF offers three faculty grants of $500 each and three graduate student grants of $200 each. As our members may realize, these are extremely modest grants. However, the grant level is determined by the expected yield of EAF’s current capital funds.
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We want to inform our members that the EAF Fellows have began producing monographs and articles from their research projects supported by EAF. We want to congratulate the following scholars who have produced manuscripts for publication whose copies they have filed with EAF.
New Board Members
Carl Robson
Hailu Abatena Harold Marcus Teshome Abebe Wongelawit Teferra |
Fifi Hussein Teshome Taddesse |
For your convenience and future use, the email addresses of the Executive Committee are listed below. Feel free to use them for comments and suggestions. Please use Assefa Mehretu's email to send your email address. We do appreciate your cooperation.
Sisay Asefa, Vice Chairman of the Board, asefa@wmich.edu
Asrat Tessema, Treasurer, asrat.Tessema@emich.edu
Daniel Teferra, Board Secretary, dteferra@aol.com
Ayalew Kanno, Member At Large, akanno@earthlink.net
Assefa Mehretu, Executive Director, mehretu@msu.edu
We would like to request our members to share the Newsletter with their relatives, friends and colleagues so that they would know about EAF and possibly consider joining the Foundation. Please send requests to Assefa Mehretu for membership forms. Thank you.
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