The Dynamics of Higher Education Governance Policy Process in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopian higher education is a relatively recent phenomenon and has been through three governments whose ideological makings hold different forms. Since its foundation, the country embarked on rigorous expansion and diversification in HE. In order to make the ambition a reality and make higher education attain the intended purposes, it requires a policy that channels efforts, activities, and resources. The purpose of the study is, therefore, to explore the dynamics of higher education governance policy process in Ethiopia through a review of different documents related to higher education policies at different times. A contextual discourse analysis was used to materialize the study. To this effect, a review on higher education governance policy that has been maintained in the last three governments in the country i.e. articles, books, book sections, published and unpublished policy documents was carried out. Finally, the findings indicated that the Ethiopian higher education governance policy process observed across the three government forms seemed the mirror reflection of the respective governments’ ideologies. The dynamics of higher education governance policy seems incremental in which the last policy is relatively comprehensive, well-articulated and regulated. It is suggested that while universities remain an important sector in maintaining sustainable development in the country, higher education governance policy should be well articulated and precisely define the role of state and universities and should be revisited within a reasonable time frame through continuous policy research and feedback loop.