The Haramaya University-Oklahoma State University Partnership Program (1952-1968) By Belay Kassa

Outline of the presentation Historical notes Administration and managment Achievements Critical success factors Challenges Conclusions

Historical Note University level agricultural education in Ethiopia began in the early 1950s, following the establishment of the Imperial Ethiopian College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (IECAMA) popularly called ‘Alemaya College of Agriculture’, now Haramaya University (HU)

Historical Note Cont’d… Referring to the situation of trained-personnel in the agricultural sector in the early 1950s, Brannon (1966), noted: By 1952, although education was receiving major governmental support, personnel with training in technical agriculture was practically non-existent. We were unable to locate within the Empire a single national with the equivalent of a Bachelor of Science degree in any aspect of agriculture. Not one. Only a very few had technical training to the diploma level.

Historical Note Cont’d… Point Four General Agreement for Technical Cooperation Between the US and Ethiopian Empire signed on June 16, 1951; Agreement for a cooperative Agricultural Education Program between the US and Ethiopia signed on May 15, 1952; Agreement signed between the Technical Cooperation Administration of the United States Department of State ( TCA now USAID ) and Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now OSU) to establish the Imperial Ethiopian College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts on May 16, 1952;

Historical Note Cont’d… The College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts was established in 1953; The first batch of students started classes on the Campus of Jimma Agricultural and Technical School(JATS ) in the same year; The College moved to present Campus in November 1956;

Historical Note Cont’d… The academic program of the College was modeled on the Land-grant College system with three fundamental but related responsibilities: training qualified manpower in the various fields of agriculture; promotion of agricultural research; and dissemination of appropriate technologies.

Administration & Management The IECAMA was conceived as an independent institution; Members of the Board were appointed by the Emperor and the President by OSU (appointment was subject to the approval of the Emperor); The College was jointly administered by OSU & the Ministry of Agriculture in the 1953–1961 period; In 1961 the College became one of the charter units of the HSIU and was renamed “HSI University College of Agriculture.”

Administration & Management Cont… On July 1, 1966 the position of President was abolished and the top administrative position became that of a Dean and an Ethiopian was appointed to the position; In 1968, the Contractual agreement with OSU terminated and the College was placed fully on the budget of the Ethiopian Government; On May 27, 1985 the College was upgraded to a level of University as Alemaya University of Agriculture;

Administration & Management Cont… In 1996, the University became a multidisciplinary Institution and Agriculture was dropped from its name; however, it is expected to maintain academic excellence in agriculture. The name of the University was changed from Alemaya University to Haramaya University in February, 2006.

What Contributions has the HU-OSU Partnership made ? Trained 384 highly qualified agricultural professionals; Built an agricultural education program; Establishment of a nationwide program of agricultural research; Organization and operation of a nationwide system of agricultural extension;

What Contributions contd…? Twelve volumes of the publication Agriculture in Ethiopia were prepared; More than 120 experimental bulletins, leaflets, circulars, and miscellaneous publications were produced;

What Contributions contd…? Trained qualified students from other African countries (sixteen students from Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon, Gambia, Malawi, and Uganda); Provision of technical assistance to other African countries was underlined to be one of the principal missions of the College; In an official speech made during the official dedication of the college on January 16, 1958 Emperor Haile Selassie emphasised this point;

What Contributions contd…? Faculty and students of the Department of Agricultural Economics organized the Alemaya Farmers’ Cooperative (vegetable Marketing Cooperative); The first cooperative officially recognized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Ethiopia;

What Contributions contd…? Well thought out succession planning (highly qualified and experienced Ethiopian nationals were groomed to assume responsibility for the direction and operation of the College);

Critical Success Factors Dedication of OSU representatives to ensure the success of the program; Continuity of committed and dedicated leadership; Continued financial support from the Government of the United States of America; Commitment and dedication of the Ethiopian Government; Clarity of vision;

Challenges Differences in approach between Point Four Officials and OSU representatives; Exclusive or near-exclusive reliance on donor funding for research and extension undertakings; The agricultural higher education system had a tendency to serve a small group of elites;

Conclusions The HU-OSU partnership program was an important landmark in the development history of the country; One can safely say that the foundations laid down by the program have been contributing positively to the agricultural development process of the country because in the absence of the program there would not have been the progress achieved so far. 18

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