African Higher Education Urged to Bring about Meaningful Socio-Economic Transformation through Their Researches

Addis Ababa, May 30, 2025 (ENA)— Ethiopia’s State Minister for Education, Kora Tushune said that the research outcomes of higher education in Africa need to lead into meaningful societal and economic transformation.

The 23rd International Conference on Private Higher Education in Africa was held in Addis Ababa on Thursday under the theme “The Academic Profession and Research Excellence in Africa.”

St. Mary University in collaboration with local and foreign partnerships including the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, the Association of African universities, the African Union Commission and others organized the conference.

The conference aimed to explore the evolving landscape of higher education, and served us a vital platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation.

Addressing the conference, State Minister for Education Kora Tushune said the research works conducted by higher education institutions need to be used for problem solving and achieving development of the society.

 

“In Africa, our higher education institutions should work hard to secure a decent place for Africa and its people creating knowledge and technology driven society. Africans should not just be consumers of knowledge and technology, but they should be part of the global knowledge generation transmission hubs,” the state minister elaborated.

According to him, the Ministry of Education strongly supports such commitment and recognizes the contribution of conferences like this one that's happening today towards creating a platform for academic debate.

Therefore, the state minister reiterated the minister's commitment to providing an effective oversight and support to the Ethiopian public private higher education institutions in their effort to enhance access, inclusion and quality of education.

 The policy which has been put in place in the last 5 years has enabled higher education institutions to operate in competitive bases, he said, adding that conducting research and application of research findings are now part of key performance in public higher education institutions.

St. Mary’s University President, Wondwosen Tamrat on his part said as universities are increasingly recognized as engines of innovation, it's vital that research agendas need to align with local realities.

 

He further stated that it's only through strategic investment in research and societal impact that our institutions can truly fulfill their development mandates, he underscored.

Edward Makume, on behalf of Professor Saidou Madougou Director of the African Union Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (AU ESTI) said that currently global knowledge economies are advancing at an unprecedented pace,

Africa must position itself not just as a participant, but as a leader in research and innovation, he said.

 

For Africa to compete and thrive, we must urgently prioritize and scale up investments in research and development ensuring that our academic and research ecosystems are robust, well-funded, and aligned with continental and global development agendas, he added.

About 200 participants, including educators, researchers, policy makers, university leaderships, and partners from Africa and across the world took part in the conference.