The University of Asmara 1958-1991: A short history of an institution
The University of Asmara 1958-1991: A short history of an institution Chefena Hailemariam (Visiting Fellow at the Department of Sociology at LSE) Date: 5 March 2014 Time: 5:00 PM Finishes: 5 March 2014
The University of Asmara 1958-1991: A short history of an institution
Chefena Hailemariam (Visiting Fellow at the Department of Sociology at LSE)
Date: 5 March 2014 Time: 5:00 PM
Finishes: 5 March 2014 Time: 6:30 PM
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings Room: FG01
Type of Event: Seminar
In the annals of African higher education Eritrea sets a negative example by dismembering a forty eight year old university. While the UN Human Right Council takes this as an issue of human right and strongly recommends for the reopening of the university, the government of Eritrea contests arguing it was re-structuring the higher education system. Also powerful nationalist narratives claim that the University under the Ethiopian occupation had been subjected to repression discrimination, and producing mediocrity . I suggest the development of the University of Asmara during the Ethiopian occupation be viewed as a trajectory of an institution with due consideration to its particular institutional arrangements and processes in its struggle to achieving some semblance institutionality. Attempt will be made at deconstructing the discursive representations of the institution and how undue focus on the broader political domination can mask the reality at an institutional level. The paper highlights how actors in specific structural location curved out spaces for themselves in shaping the turn of events throughout the pre-liberation era (1958-1991). Finally, the paper concludes by offering suggestions towards the revitalisation of the higher education system in future Eritrea.
Zufana March 4, 2014
Asmarina Shukorina ab ed hgdef-mendef gedifnaki ekire belilna.
misghina asfaha March 5, 2014
Todays world is the result of many ups and downs. It is of no value always to go back and condemn Ethiopia for what ever ills suffocating the Eritrean people ,in this case the closure Asmara University by its liberators. Of course History has to record what ever wrong is being committed by Ethiopia. But the causes for the closure of the university for an indefinite period after liberation and independence remains to be answered by the liberators who took the decision to do so.Development ,among others,requires we add some value to what was already there. if we can’t create new value addition instead of of destroying with out any replacement.What we see in the case of the Asmara Univercity is mere destruction and no value addition what so ever.Fast forword, the idea of revitalization is a good idea. THe main questions remains, Who is going to revitalise Higher Education and when?Any way it it also good to have a discussion for the sake of discussion. that has been our culture.
Simerrr2012 March 5, 2014
Loyalty is important not ability under higdef megzati. Isayas ( Addis Ababa university drop out)knows more than anybody else that University campus is the dominant factor in regime change of any country in the world . Dynamic young people not only busy in studying their subject but also active in watching any wrong doing of government policy and politics. I wish Isayas had passed his exam and be what he wanted to be and we had today a beautiful Eritrea without higdef. Unfortunately, the teacher who gave Isayas the failing scores didn’t realize this person could go to the mountains of Eritrea to make Eritrea the worst place in the world. It was the best moment for Asrate Kassa and CIA to approach a loser who failed his exam to do the dirty job. The rest is history.. that is why Isayas first home work was to dismantle the Asmara University so no one can oppose him and killing our people with impunity. He substituted university professors with military colonels who hardly write Tigrina and completely do not speak English or hardly understand English. Even high school students are not saved from his devastating plan, he forcibly sends them to Sawa for collective punishment for no reason. He deny parent to share their love and advice they could give to their children at the right time and age. He delivers the young girl to be sex toys for the retarded officers. And the supporters of the regime clap for a dam built in Gash Barka and nothing about closing the only University in the country. Education is expensive try ignorance koynina.
selamawit2 March 5, 2014
So true and so sad – and another a similarity between iseyas and to hitler:
he wanted to study arts but he was considered not to be good enough.
Yerhiwo March 5, 2014
Simerrr2012..right on the money!!! Good analysis my brother!
We Eritreans were the most educated people in Ethiopia when we were under HaileSellasie and Mengistu. Now the only University is closed and replaced with colleges that are not accredited by the world college board. Dictator Isaias Afwerki as a dropout student does not want dekebat Eritreans to excel in education. He created SAWA to control and manipulate the youth that is the engine for any change. Once a young student leave for SAWA, most likely does not come back home!!! Only few make it to Mai Nefhi or to other low class colleges that are administrated by Military personnel that can not spell their names in English. Very sad!!!!
abyssinia March 5, 2014
Let me correct you on the qoute you mentioned. .. if education is expensive try ignorance. Ignorance is rampant like corruption due to the rule of the jungle, donot ask where, you know it already.
Suleman March 5, 2014
I felt morally obliged to polish your correction by further correction, and the saying goes “If you think Education is expensive try ignorance, but you would later find out ignorance is more expensive than education”. How about that?
Sorobeti March 5, 2014
DIA destroyed the education system of the country and the social values of the people intentionally to create a robot people that blindly obey him.
JOHANES March 5, 2014
ASMARA KETELIA SECONDO ROMA NEYRU SHIMKI BHGDF GODUF INDIKI TEKEBIBKI DEHAN KERIBU IYU RAHWAKI DEKI ERE TESFA ZEYMQURAS (DEKI ERE TIME FOR UNITED ACTION NOW HAWET NHZBI ERIREA WDKET NHDF SHIFTA GUJILE
teaghes fukurey March 5, 2014
Please correct your naming: It is Asmara University from 1958 to 1991 and then changed to University of Asmara.
ali March 5, 2014
uway nebber mukhan kihassim
Tamrat Tamrat March 5, 2014
The University was originally founded in 1958, albeit by a different name, the Catholic College of Santa Famiglia.[2]
By 1964, the University had been renamed and began offering Associate Diploma programs in the Arts, Commerce, and the Sciences.[1]
The school just limped along through the 1970s until 1979 when a new president pushed through a major reorganization of the curriculum and structure. The next years saw an increase in students from 300 to 2,700. New courses, staff, day and evening extension programs and campus buildings revived the University, together with a bilateral agreement to exchange students and faculty with the University of Addis Ababa, particularly focusing on graduate training in Addis Ababa to produce faculty for Eritrea.[1]
However, the university stopped accepting incoming students in the early 2000s.
The university was ordered to close its doors supposedly due to student protests in 2001
Selamawit March 5, 2014
Tamrat,
go to the lecture/presentation before you say anything which you have
no facts of.
Selamawit March 5, 2014
Tamrat,
go to the lecture/presentation before you say anything which you have no facts of.
Tamrat Tamrat March 5, 2014
In 1993, when classes became too crowded, all members of the third-year class were mobilized for national service and had to suspend their education.
monicasalguero March 5, 2014
Yehwat: Eti hawna Tamrat Tamrat Deberkto delo hasabat haki Eyu University nay Asmera ba-elu aytekoyeten. D serheon b gubeten kone bgenzeben dexe-aralun ne ametat de serhalun Sebat, Ab bote-en alowa. Slementay yina tekebilna dey nekel? Nehna Nkla
NE ISAYAS ESHI MEBAL TRAY YIYA.
MightyEmbasoyra March 5, 2014
Every time I strolled through that street, I used to say “one day I will attend here”. Unfortunately, I never did. All I did was drink that tasty cappuccino at cafe Lidya. Isn’t that sad?
selamawit2 March 7, 2014
“All I did was drink that tasty cappuccino at cafe Lidya”
than we should better install “cafe Lidya” everywhere, if this is the secret background of your integrity and education!
(p.s. it is scientifically proved that deep learning/education is a matter of (life)experience – less a matter of institutions)
MightyEmbasoyra March 7, 2014
Very good idea! It is funny though, I found a quality cafe with very close to cafe Lidya’s sweet cappuccino’s test in the town I live.
selamawit2 March 8, 2014
to say it with your words: “god loves you” – because if you can’t go to the mountain, he sends the mountain to you!
(it sounds so delicious, i’m gonna make me a cappuccino now.)
selam March 8, 2014
Mighty hawey,
Where do you live? I miss Lidya’s cappuccino. I used to go there when I was studying at the university. I do not know how to prove it but I believe there is a kind of correlation or relationship between Cafe Lydia and university of Asmara.
I miss my home country so much that I feel like fighting my way there. I miss my university.
selamawit2 March 9, 2014
selam, tell me where you live and i will find you a very high quality cafe.
i am good at making enquiries…
MightyEmbasoyra March 9, 2014
Sister Selam,
I used to live in Seattle, WA, for about 8yrs (driving a taxi) and and now it has been 7 yrs since I have lived in a small city El Cerrito, near city of Berkeley (few miles from Oakland, CA.). I found a government job, sanitary related work (I know it is low job but a guy with just high school diploma, it is ok job and they pay very good as well). There is one small cafe that opens until midnight and that’s where I hang out reading books of many kinds (philosophy, math, physics, fiction both in English and Tigrigna). Some people think I went to college (I feel very good when they tell me that, for few minutes) but unfortunately, I didn’t and that is not an easy feeling. Few people think I am very lazy (they be right). I can communicate with most women with college degrees but as soon as they know I don’t have any, the politely stay away from me 🙂
Anyways, this is a short summary of my life. How about you?
Haqqi Nezareb March 9, 2014
Hi there!
Is it Cafe Lydia or Bar Lydia? A long time I used to be a frequent visitor to the Bar aka the room in the back to chat and study.
MightyEmbasoyra March 9, 2014
HN,
You might be right. I think it was ባር ሊድያ. It has been a while.
selamawit2 March 11, 2014
Dear Mighty,
“I know it is low job but a guy with just high school diploma, it is ok job and they pay very good as well)”
VERY GOOD! that’s best precondition for a life as a WRITER. Most of the writers can’t live on writing and need “solid” breadwinning, which gives them regularity and which as the same time doesn’t occupy their minds too much.
“as soon as they know I don’t have any, the politely stay away from me” Sometimes people think they have “education” where they have “apprenticeship” only…
Congratulation, that’s a fast tool to keep away dully superficiality from you life.
others need years to come to this point!
MightyEmbasoyra March 11, 2014
Thank you, sister Selamawit2!
helen October 8, 2015
I am glad you found one. I live in Toronto there a lot bars and Caffè place near my place but still I didn’t find one like bar lidia. They serve it very cold not hot hot like in asmara.