Similarly we also linked the Texas
Children’s Hospital with the Ethio-
pian Ministry of Health. This project
is intended to increase capacity and
collaboration of trained healthcare
professionals and investigators in
pediatric oncology in Ethiopia. The
Texas Children’s Hospital plans to
provide expert advice for planning
and implementing pediatric cancer
care programs in Ethiopia. They also
are developing online training mod-
ules for specific types of cancer care,
facilitating the donation of pediatric
cancer treatment equipment along
with technical training for mainte-
nance.
3)Building Sustainable U.S.-Ethiopi-
an University Partnerships:
The U.S. Ethiopian University Part-
nership includes representatives from
a range of U.S. universities (Texas
State University, University of Mis-
souri-St. Louis, Oklahoma State Uni-
versity, The University of Oklahoma,
Texas Tech University, Texas A&M,
Pennsylvania State University, Mis-
sissippi State University, Kansas State
University, Rutgers, UC Davis, and
the Association of Public and Land
Grant Universities). Our goal is to
establish a common platform allow-
ing all parties to collaborate in order
to ensure sustainable growth for the
Ethiopian Higher Education system.
Heidi: Are you seeing the fruits of your
labor? Are you seeing more people return
to Ethiopia and help.
Ethiopia has experienced a rapid
expansion in the number of terri-
tory universities over the past 15
years; growing from 2 universities to
more than 50. Although the Ethio-
pian university system is in the midst
of great changes, several challenges
remain in technology, curriculum
development, and research. One
of the most urgent needs is foster-
ing the development of international
relationships between Ethiopian and
foreign universities. The Ethiopian
Government is focused on building
higher education and providing Uni-
versity Scholastic opportunities to all
Ethiopian students with no cost. Hon. Kebede: Yes indeed.
For the last seven years with the sup-
port of my good friend the Honor-
able Ambassador Tibor Nagy, we have
been facilitating relationships linking
Ethiopian and American universi-
ties. Ambassador Nagy’s experience
includes former U.S Ambassador to
Ethiopia and Vice Provost for Inter-
national Affairs at Texas Tech Uni-
versity. Recently he was appointed
as the Assistant Secretary of African
Affairs at the US State Department. Ethiopia is also a strategic partner
of the United States in the Global
War on Terrorism. Ethiopia is a valu-
able partner in a critical region, from
peacekeeping to fighting terrorism
and pursuing peace in the Horn of
Africa. Geopolitically Ethiopia is a
very strategic country for our inter-
ests in the Horn of Africa. So that
relationship is very strong and has
historically been bonded in many
different ways
48 iF Magazine | August 2018
Heidi: Okay. You have touched on it a
little. What is a future goal for Ethiopia’s
relationship with the U.S.?
Hon. Kebede: Ethiopia and the Unit-
ed States have enjoyed warm govern-
ment-to-government and people-to-
people relations since our first official
diplomatic interaction on December
27, 1903. For more than a century,
those ties have transcended the pas-
sage of time, and the strong bonds
of partnership and friendship have
continued, unhindered by respective
changes in government.
Heidi: A big challenge facing Ethiopia
today?
Hon. Kebede: A big challenge facing
Ethiopia today is economic develop-
ment and fighting poverty. In reduc-
ing poverty in Sub- Saharan Africa,
Ethiopia has made significant prog-
ress by achieving the Millennium
Development Goals. The share of the
population living below poverty line
fell from more than 44% in 2000 to
around 30% in 2010; by the end of
period 2016/2017, the figures fell
further to 21.4%. Over the past 10
years, Ethiopia has been identified as
one of the fastest growing economies
in the world. Beginning in 2008 it
registered consecutive GDP growth
rates of over 10.5% and is expected
to sustain this course over the next
three years.
Ethiopia, which is the second most
populated country in Africa, is fore-
cast to be the fastest growing econ-
omy in Sub-Saharan Africa this year
according to the International Mon-
etary Fund.
Heidi: What is Ethiopia’s main export?
Hon. Kebede: Ethiopia’s economy is
based on agriculture, which accounts
for about 45.9 percent of the gross
domestic product (GDP), 90 per-
cent of foreign currency earnings,
and 85% of employment. Generally,
the overall economic growth of the
country has been highly associated
with the performance of the agricul-
ture sector.
Coffee is a critical commodity to
the Ethiopian economy. Coffee also
originated in the Province of Keffa,
Ethiopia which is how we got the
name “Coffee”. The industry earned
$945.1 million in exports in 2016.
Other important export products in-
clude gold ($584.4 million in 2016),
oil seeds ($437.1 million 2016), flow-