#EAIR2019 Programme

#EAIR2019 Programme
The State of Diversity in the Higher Education System of Ethiopia: Connecting Diversity with Performance
Track:
1
Governance and the Responsible University
Author:
Solomon Gebru, KU Leuven, Belgium
Single presentation - 30 Minutes
August 28, 2019 at 10:00:00 AM
Room:
C-020
It is widely argued that mission based diversity between higher education institutions (HEIs) promotes excellence. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by examining the state of diversity and performance in the higher education system (HES) of Ethiopia. To this end, a conceptual framework is developed, and data are generated through document analysis, interview and from the websites of the HEIs selected as case studies. Primary results demonstrate that, presently, Ethiopia’s HES, as a whole, is best characterized by “moderate” diversity. However, the public wing of the country’s higher education depicts a one-tier mono-institutional arrangement, dominated by multi-disciplinary universities, which are mandated with the same mission. Factors contributing for this include: lack of policy attention, lack of competition and limited autonomy, the introduction of reform programs which promote homogenization, lack of funding and performance evaluation approaches that promote diversity and the presence of centrally defined mission for all HEIs.