Ethio-Indian PhD Mobility Program that Benefits Over 1,000 Ethiopians Launched

Addis Ababa, December 20, 2025 (ENA) —A PhD Mobility Program, which offers PhDs to more than 1,000 Ethiopian scholars in India or in joint supervision with Indian mentors in the coming five years, was launched today.

The Ethio-Indian Mobility Program for Advancement of Graduate Education and Research aims to further elevate research, technology and innovation cooperation by the higher educational institutions of Ethiopia and India.

Addressing the occasion, Education State Minister Kora Tushune commended the two counties' growing partnership both at the bilateral and multilateral stages, noting the significance of their strong cooperation in BRICS and South-South collaboration.

The Ethio-India PhD Mobility Program is a growing initiative for joint research, offering Ethiopian scholars PhDs in India or joint supervision with Indian mentors, focusing on academic exchange and capacity building in areas like tech, he added.

For the state minister, the program that takes from one-year to a year and a half will enable to conduct world-class research as the program is essential to boost capacity building and innovation that supports research programs.

He revealed that 1,000 to 1,200 mobility PhD students are expected to benefit from the initiative through the support of Ethiopian and Indian professors, and top tier Indian institutions supported with advanced technology.

Noting the capacity of the high-profile Indian institutions, the state minister pointed out that the program will be commenced by 8 Indian ITs (Indian Institutes of Technology).      

Professor Krishnaraj Ramaswamy, Ethio-India Joint PhD Program coordinator, said for his part that Ethiopia is emerging as a leading country in technology, especially in AI and startups.

Ethiopia's technology transformation and digitalization efforts have indeed accelerated in recent years, significantly supported by the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy.

This national initiative aims to leverage digital opportunities to drive economic growth, improve public services, and create jobs across various sectors.

“So, this strategic partnership is integrated with India and Ethiopia to enhance the bilateral relations in agriculture, sustainable technology, clean energy as well as education and mining.”

This relationship is giving a new shape to the world under the BRICS partnership, Professor Ramaswamy affirmed.

Ethio-India IIT programs involve strong academic collaborations, partnering with Ethiopia's Ministry of Education for joint PhDs with co-supervision and exchange.

In his first-ever landmark visit to Ethiopia this week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored that education is the foundation of any nation; and India takes pride in the fact that the greatest contribution to India-Ethiopia relations has come from our teachers.

“The future belongs to partnerships built on vision and trust. We wish to advance such cooperation with Ethiopia, a cooperation that addresses global challenges and also creates new opportunities,” PM Modi underscored.

Ethio-India educational cooperation has been crucial for Ethiopia, with Indian teachers forming the backbone of its modern education system for decades, significantly training generations of professionals.