Universities Chart Path Toward Institutional Self-Reliance Through Executive Leadership Program

How can Ethiopia's public universities become truly self-reliant? The answer begins with visionary leadership, systems thinking, innovation, and strong partnerships.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – July 18, 2026 Senior leaders from nine public universities across Ethiopia have completed an intensive five-day executive leadership program aimed at accelerating the country's transition toward institutional self-reliance through systems and strategic thinking.

Held from July 13–17, 2026, the high-level program, titled "Transitioning Self-Reliant Governance from Policy to Implementation: Systems and Strategic Thinking," brought together university presidents, vice presidents, and senior management teams to strengthen their capacity to lead transformational institutional reforms.

At the closing program, H.E. Muferihat Kamil, Minister of Labor and Skills, emphasized that achieving institutional self-reliance requires stronger collaboration between universities, TVET institutions, and industry to ensure education responds to the country's economic and workforce needs.

During the high-level panel discussion, Dr. Hassen Hussen, CEO of EDI, shared EDI's experience in institutional transformation and public sector innovation.

He highlighted the importance of visionary leadership, stakeholder engagement, innovation ecosystems, and strategic partnerships in helping universities achieve academic excellence, financial sustainability, and administrative autonomy. He also underscored EDI's commitment to supporting universities through its partnership with the Ministry of Education and future collaborative initiatives.

Over the five days, participants developed strategic roadmaps that will guide their institutions toward becoming more agile, innovative, and self-sustaining.

The program introduced practical approaches to transforming policy into action and accelerating the journey toward institutional self-reliance.

The initiative was jointly organized by the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS), the U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, PSI-Lab, and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI).