U.S. Embassy In Addis Ababa
Press Release
Addis Ababa, The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, in partnership with the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) and with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Specialist Program, hosted a three-day workshop on “Endowment Fund Management and Alumni Engagement” from December 3–5, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel. The event convened leaders from Ethiopia’s ten first-generation research universities to share practical strategies for building sustainable alumni giving programs and endowment funds—key pillars supporting Ethiopia’s higher education institutions.
Fulbright Specialists Dr. Ty Ropp, Vice President of Development at the Oklahoma State University Foundation, and Dr. Walter McCollum, President and Chair of the Fulbright Association, led sessions on the intersection of endowment development and alumni relations to foster sustainable university growth.
The workshop offered expert guidance on alumni communication strategies, donor stewardship and recognition, alumni giving programs, university fundraising and endowments, and endowment management. Participants engaged in interactive fireside chats, design thinking exercises to develop tailored alumni giving programs, and discussions on endowment policy frameworks for Ethiopian universities.
Jonathan Koehler, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Embassy, and EAS President Professor Belay Kassa delivered opening remarks emphasizing the importance of alumni engagement in advancing the public interest in Ethiopia’s higher education institutions. “This collaboration demonstrates our shared commitment to advancing Ethiopia’s higher education sector and building on seven decades of U.S.-Ethiopian partnership in higher education,” Koehler said.
Over three days, attendees networked, shared case studies on endowment policy development, and applied design thinking in breakout sessions to craft actionable alumni programs for their institutions.
The “Endowment Fund Management and Alumni Engagement” workshop is part of a three-year U.S. initiative supporting the Ethiopian Ministry of Education’s transition of public universities to autonomous governance. By promoting U.S. excellence in higher education, the U.S. Embassy and its partners are helping to build a self-sufficient and resilient higher education sector in Ethiopia. These efforts strengthen Ethiopia’s institutional and research capacity, enhance commercial competitiveness, and support the development of a skilled workforce—crucial steps in helping Ethiopia become a stronger economic and trading partner for the United States.
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Once more USA being at its best working hand in hand with its more than a century old friend and sharing its extremely valuable skills in management. Meanwhile what those two goons in Moscow and Beijing are doing, you may ask. In short, to the contrary. One is killing babies and the elderly in Ukraine and the other one is bullying his democratic neighbors sinking boats of poor fishermen. The hooligan in Beijing has loan-sharked the old country and stealing precious metals using his well-trained thieves to do his dirty job.