Strengthening the exemplary Ethio-Indian cooperation
By Gemechu Tussa
It was so incredible for a country that was once considered as the example of famine for the international community managed to be one of the fast growing economies in the world with in about two decades. Many political and economic analysts witnessed that the Ethiopian economy has grown fast in the past fifteen years.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also confirmed that Ethiopia amidst various perplexing challenges like drought and instability in some areas of the two regions of the country, managed to be the fastest economic growing countries in the world “this good times will last”.
The fast economic progress coupled with the ample investment opportunities and relative stability in the volatile Horn of Africa resulted in influx of a large number of investors from around the world. Its diplomatic and economic ties have also risen from time to time.
During his work visit to Ethiopia, the Indian president elaborated to the media that India is keen to further strengthen its relations with Ethiopia. Currently, a number of Indian investors have invested in Ethiopian running their investment with a total of 10 billion ETB and offered job opportunities for more than 50,000 Ethiopian citizens.
The president also emphasized that Ethiopia is one of the African countries that got priority in Indian support and credit. India participates in Ethiopia Sugar development and power generations.
Currently, Ethiopia has good bilateral relations with many countries around the world. It has strong connection with its neighboring countries except Eritrea, other African countries, America, United Kingdom, France, China and India some among many others. However, the intention of this piece is to give a bird’s eye view of Ethio-Indian relations in the education system.
Ethiopia and Indian have a history of more than two thousand years that the Axumite traders imported silk from India. They have been strengthening their political, social and economic cooperation. The trade and investment relations between the two countries have been showing an upward trajectory for the past five consecutive years. There are a lot of Indian potential investors in Ethiopia investing in different areas.
Historical documents indicated that a large number of Indians were participated in the Ethiopian enlightenment programs many years ago when modern education started in the country. Since then, Indians were working in various schools, colleges and universities in Ethiopia. This contributes to cultural assimilation that Indians learn Ethiopian culture and vice versa.
This is undeniable fact. The present data shows the presence of many Indian scholars in Ethiopia serving as instructors. According to reports from Ministry of Education, more than 2000 Indian scholars are currently working in different universities in Ethiopia.
It is crystal clear that there are now around 50 public and private universities and university colleges in the country. The government believes that there is need to have trained and skilled manpower to shoulder the fast and sustainable economic growth.
In this regard, expanding and diversifying education at home is so indispensible. However, the education system at home should be supported for foreign technologies and scholars.
Besides, Ethiopian youngsters should be trained abroad and those who trained at home need to be supported by foreign exposures and scholars so that the skilled manpower could manage to shoulder the fast economic growth and accustomed to the frequently sophisticated technology.
In this regard, India has been cooperating with Ethiopia. It offered scholarship to Ethiopian students at all levels: first degree, second degree and PhD programs. The recent visit of the Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to Ethiopia is believed to further strengthen the two country’s cooperation relation in education and technology transfers.
It is known that Ethiopia and India signed Educational exchange programs in 2007 and since then they have been strengthen the cooperation.
Besides, there is also Ethio-Indian relations in the Pan African e-Network project, which was launched in the aforementioned year. The e-network project coupled with the Tele-education center Addis Ababa University and Tele-Medicine at Tikur Anbessa Hospital (literal meaning Black Lion Hospital) raised the bilateral relations of the two countries to its peak.
In addition to this, there is an Indian technical vocational institute in Addis Ababa, founded in 2008 and handed over to the Ethiopian government in 2013, aimed to provide different trainings in connection to trading.
India also provides about 50 scholarships to Ethiopian students for University studies. These students not only study their lessons in India but also got technological and cultural exposure.
According to the information posted on the page of the Ethiopian Embassy in India, “more than 1000 higher level university instructors have been trained and other 350 are attending their education in 21 Indian universities at present”.
India is one of the fast emerging economies in the world. It is also well developed in Information Technology and other industries around the world. Since recent years India has been strengthening its all rounded relations with Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular. Ethiopia could possibly use the offers that India allotted to African countries.
One of these offers is scholarship in different fields of study in different Indian universities. This could help to back Ethiopia’s need to build its execution capacity and to have as much well trained and skilled manpower as possible so as to meaningfully transform its economy. It could provide Ethiopians to bring various technologies to Ethiopia that they could liable to while attending their education in India.
In fact, the world is now in a ‘give and take’ mood. There are many offers from Ethiopia as well. When the Indian investors came to Ethiopia, they get a number of opportunities that they do not get in other countries. They get cheap human labor as well as other incentives offered by the government.
As for the two countries in the education system is concerned into account, it is so crucial that more than 2000 scholars are contributing not only to teaching various fields of study but also conducting academic research in different Ethiopian universities and colleges.
This relation, according to the Indian President kovind, is so exemplary. Of course, that is the reality. These two countries have a long standing all rounded bilateral relations. They cooperate in trade starting from ancient times.
There are also Indian investments in Ethiopia that long lasted for half million years. That was well strengthened these days. The flow of Indian investor to Ethiopia has rising from time to time. The countries relations in education is also a worth mentioning. Ethiopia could benefit from technology transfer from India in its efforts to develop its industry particularly the manufacturing sector. It is, therefore, very important to further strengthening the all rounded bilateral relations between the two countries: Ethiopia and India.