Transforming University-Industry-Government Relations in Ethiopia
This publication is a compilation of reference articles prepared for, and presented at, the Triple Helix Conference on Transforming University-Industry-Government Relations in Ethiopia, held in Addis Ababa on 29th-31st May 2006. The event was coordinated by IKED in collaboration with Prof. Henry Etzkowitz and the Triple Helix Association, including the headquarters in San Francisco as well as the Ethiopian branch, newly instituted at the time.
The context for the conference was relate to the state of considerable frustration at the time with the way that stakeholder relations worked out in Ethiopia. The government exerted highly controlling influence and other major societal spheres, including the business sector and academia, met with few opportunities for taking initiative and grow their specific competences.
The conference, made possible through a grant offered by the Swedish aid agency, SIDA; was able to bring together key representatives of the main sectors, The president and prime minister both attended and recognised the issues from the start. Candid discussions unfolded throughout the event, The publication provides an overview of the material presented, providing a glimpse of the changes under way and the issues at stake.
Many individuals contributed to the successful organisation of the Conference. In its aftermath, the Ethiopian Triple Helix Association could serve as a platform for developing more effective cooperation between various actors in Ethiopia, drawing on the Triple Helix concept. New international partnerships were formed in the academic sphere which are set to continue for the long term. The publication, meanwhile, is intended to serve as a source of inspiration in Ethiopia as well as for other countries looking for new ways and means to dynamize - and make more constructive - the relations between universities, industry and government.