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There have been remarks that institutions of higher learning have become places of radical ethnic politics. At one point, ethnic based violence and politically motivated killing became common.
Quality of education is another victim of ethnic politics. A recent report indicated that over 80 percent of University students failed the exit exam that was prepared to assess their knowledge related to the field of study they studied.
Professor Berhanu Nega, leader of EZEMA and Minister for Education, reflected on the problem during an interview with state media – EBC. As opposed to the very concept of University, Ethiopian Universities have become village (he used it in a sense to reflect parochialism) institutions.
Watch his interview below
Video : embedded from EBC YouTube channel
Cover photo : screenshot from the video
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Kudos, for both the host of the program for being prepared & for raising timely and consequential lead-questions as well as coming back with follow-up questions… & the Professor, for being on point as well as being fully aware of the issues in all areas of thee challenges facing Higher-education in Ethiopia today, and for having the insight as to primarily what needs to be done going forward…
Excellent discussion!!! Thank you.
The professor slightly touched on it, taking about what is emerging in East-West power-politics and the emerging multipolar system.
What made this new phenomenon possible is, the result of what happened in the last 40 years in elite universities of predominantly US Universities.
Starting in 80’s Chinese and Indian students swarmed the science and technology departments of all higher education institutions of the West (US, Canada, Australia, UK…etc.) while all local students avoid science & technology in favor of less challenging faculties such as law (high paying as well as, future in higher-office opportunities…) medicine, social sciences… etc.
what happened next is, when all those science & technology students return home, the number of high quality universities in China started to grow, pumping out high quality home grown Scientists, engineers, Clinicians, technologists emerged in great numbers, as the result the technological gap the West has was surpassed, by both China and India (in software -fields in particular…)
Most of US Tech giants today are run by Indian-born US educated & naturalized citizens… While most Chinses chose to go home and the rest is what we see today… most tech giants like TiKtok, Huawei, Alibaba etc. dominance of the tech space is the result of that early move made by both China and India.
However, things are changing now in a big way with the fast-emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the success it achieved, modern-higher-education of the last 500 years is going to go under a huge transformation. As the host touched-on towards the end information that is loaded on our cell-phones (some AI based) are changing the way we get information & how we educate ourselves.
For example each of the tech-giants are working on their own AI projects in a big way, (have been for years) and smaller developers are out with early stage but excellent products such as ChatGBT for for human like one on one conversations, GBT-3 for text articles generation on a given subject of choice, to the the public…
What these developments are suggesting is that current elite universities are going to be come partially obsolete, meaning all memorable-subject -maters (none scientific Professors, General P. MDs, economics, etc. all that are based on memory/metal (limited data) vs what AI can search libraries of the world and answer in real time, will be taken over by AI. And those professionals suddenly face the days of VHS & cassettes-tapes/CDs…
And it is imperative that Universities be transformed to Comprehensive Technical Schools (top lab tech, Red seal carpenters, Red seal mechanics, Industry technologists…etc. ) that work with Industries (local & international) to produce technically trained graduates based on the needs & requirements of the specific-industry , that way every graduate has a job waiting as well as be ready to be able to compete world wide labor markets.
As the developing world jumped directly to WIFI /Solar panel, and related recent technological developments, it is also important to be prepared in advance to jump to the AI transformation and do the ground work necessary to move forward (not to be left behind) having AI means to have the latest-information at one’s finger tip 24/7 and unlike the far away expensive elite Universities all is available anywhere WIFI is available. So Location is no longer a barrier.
The brave new world is here and all that is required is to be ready and jump on it.
The second is “blockchain” technology, already getting somehow old but it is the future of transparent “record keeping” real-time & unhidden data viewed by anyone anywhere. End -Corruption in all areas of public private record keeping from finance to healthcare, legal system, exam results, factory production line, farming , equipment, military, logistics, water., electricity, irrigation, climate monitoring & advisory in Realtime, using cell-phones no extra cost to the provider.
Chip technology, Robotics , Drones and self-driving and diagnostics… etc. are the next generation fields of study that will lead the way of the future… even at a small scale… (RD).
Traditional higher education, as discussed is at a crossroad, maybe the timing couldn’t be any better, if the right planning and policy are put together to move forward with a NEW focus to take advantage of the technology that is emerging.
Perhaps China can help with expert-advice and train the trainer venture and Intellectual property sharing… just an idea to explore.
Russia can help in many heavy-industry, prototyping , modeling, pipeline, military small arms design and manufacturing, aerospace, satellite… nuclear-power plants , Oil & Gas exploration… (RD)
India, in pharmaceuticals, software-development…green-village (water conservation) rural-landscaping…
# Developing nations are most sharing and willing to help as their motivation is human-well-being, not PROFIT so much.
There is “A” lot to learn but so little time.
Be well.
Typo,
First paragraph, 1st line :
“kudos for”, should read —> “kudos to”.
TY.
This are the kinds of REAL “education” in MONTHS that our Ethiopian students need to learn that would transform the nation East, West, South, North in a very short period of TIME.
Link = youtube.com/watch?v=01N-kBSdiZI
Link = youtube.com/watch?v=dcgHvYWLs-Q
India’s community effort for water-harvesting
Link = youtube.com/watch?v=-8nqnOcoLqE
Practical skills that is needed in all parts of Ethiopia, to enable people become self-sufficient, in a short period of time…
be well.
“Artificial Intelligence”:
AI is here and now, and the future of “education” and the “diminished value” of “Memorized Knowledge” going forward… & many will be forced to go unload-trucks in Transylvania.
Only people with demonstrable “Skill sets” could be able to advance their Skills to the next by learning new techniques on the fly…
Source :
1) youtube.com/watch?v=jPhJbKBuNnA
2) youtube.com/watch?v=WY518YRfs5M
The brave new world is here to level the playing field…
But some are very fearful, thinking AI could become “smarter” than us, therefore, becoming a “dominating” force to reckon with.
The simple fact why the will never happen is:
1) human created tool cannot be better than the creator, because it always gets its info from the human (that put it together, supplied the information).
2) as the term “artificial” indicates it is not “real” or Not-Organic, but only “FAST”.
3) the most important impact AI will present to “man-kind” is, until up to this point in time in human history, man-kind was busy working towards “survival” just like the cava-man used to do, the only difference being “time we live in” and tools ” employed, then and now.
However, as AI takes over our “survival” daily-activities or daily-chores it will free as to do other things, such as exploring our “spiritual” journey; “why we are here for’, to find out our propose to come down-here, and final “who we rely are?”
Be well.
AI, do not panic!!!
youtube.com/watch?v=LXcpYfImJpA
Be well.
(AI) WARNING!!!
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No matter what anyone says, DO NOT ALLOW ANY KIND OF “CHIP” INPLANTED ON YOUR BODY.
If you Do so, you will become “Someone’s TOOL.” to use you as they with using an application on their cell phone.
For example such tools like Elon Musk’s “neuralink”. Never ever allow such things!
The human body is built with all the ADVANCED technologies naturally.
The “Junk DNA” is NOT JUNK at all, it is designed to be activated when the “CONDITIONS” are met. The Junk DNA is not active (1) your ‘spiritual awareness” has to reach /meet that condition INTERNALY (as was the case with Jesus). (2) it will start to activate gradually once out side of “3D”, in 4D, 5D, 6D etc. to the 12D; there are 12 diminutions, in the physical Universe.
Be well.