The
Origins, Endeavours and Demise of the Ethiopian University Service: A Look at
the Evolution of an Idea
Abstract:
In 1964 Haile Sellassie I University (now Addis Ababa University) introduced a
one-year required student service program, the Ethiopian University Service, to
be conducted primarily in the rural areas of the country. Once hailed as “an
inspiration of genius” and “a remarkable success,” the program was
discontinued almost abruptly in 1974 after over 3800 students served in about
146 centres. What explains the demise of a program that was appealing and
effective initially? Precedents in student community service, concordance of the
program with government interests of the time, consultations among the
concerned, the program’s relatively low cost and its responsiveness to
community needs help explain the program’s success. Reasons for the
program’s discontinuation include: departure from the original objectives,
worsening administrative problems, competing priorities in the University, and a
new government that saw it as anachronistic or threatening. The study provides
an insight into the trials of indigenous innovations that seek to advance a
symbiotic relationship between higher education and community service in a least
developed country.