St. Mary’s University (SMU) participated in a panel discussion titled “Private Higher Education in Ethiopia: Contribution, Challenges, and Prospects” held on October 15, 2026, at the Friendship International Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The discussion aimed to explore strategies for enhancing the contribution of private higher education institutions, addressing the challenges they face, and ensuring the sector’s sustainability through constructive engagement with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Education and Training Authority (ETA).
Opening Remarks
The discussion was opened by Molla Tsegaye (PhD), President of the Private Higher Education Institutions’ Association. In his opening remarks, he acknowledged the Ministry of Education and the Education and Training Authority (ETA) for their demonstrated interest in engaging with the Association’s Board. He also expressed his appreciation for their presence and participation in the meeting. He emphasized the importance of recognizing the contributions of private higher education institutions and establishing regular, constructive dialogue between the sector and its regulatory bodies. He stressed the need for a regulatory environment that recognizes and encourages the sector’s valuable contributions. He reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to working collaboratively with regulatory bodies to ensure accountability among institutions that fail to meet the established standards.
Contribution of Private Higher Education to Ethiopia’s Development
Presenting on the contribution of private higher education, Misganaw Solomon (PhD), Vice President for Research and Community Engagement at St. Mary’s University, highlighted the sector’s pivotal role in expanding access to higher education, promoting equity, diversifying educational opportunities, and complementing the government’s efforts to meet the country’s growing demand for higher education.
He noted that private higher education institutions account for 41.1% of national higher education student enrollment, with female students constituting 50.7% of the student population. The institutions also provide demand-driven academic programs through various modes of delivery, including regular, extension, distance, and online education. These contributions have broadened access to higher education and helped reduce the pressure on public institutions and government resources.
Dr. Misganaw further emphasized the sector’s contribution to Ethiopia’s human capital development and economic growth. Beyond directly employing thousands of people, private higher education institutions stimulate broader employment generation by producing graduates who contribute to diverse sectors of the economy and creating opportunities for micro and small enterprises to emerge and thrive in communities surrounding their campuses. He also highlighted the sector’s growing contributions to research and community engagement, underscoring its potential to strengthen evidence-based development, knowledge transfer, and collaboration with communities and other stakeholders.
Prospects for Private Higher Education
Ebba Mijena (PhD), Chief Executive Officer for Academic Affairs at the Ministry of Education, addressed the prospects of private higher education in Ethiopia. He observed that the demand for private higher education is expected to continue growing in response to population growth and the increasing need for educational opportunities.
He urged private higher education institutions to align their academic programs, institutional strategies, and investments with Ethiopia’s strategic development priorities, the Digital Transformation Strategy 2030, Africa’s Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Such alignment, he noted, would help ensure that the sector responds effectively to national, continental and international development needs.
Dr. Ebba also informed participants that the Ethiopian Higher Education Proclamation No. 1152/2019 was undergoing revision. He encouraged the private higher education sector to provide its feedback and recommendations to the Ministry of Education promptly, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder participation in shaping the regulatory framework governing higher education.
Key Challenges Facing Private Higher Education Institutions
Habtamu Teka (PhD) from Harambe University presented on the major challenges confronting private higher education institutions. His presentation highlighted several regulatory, institutional, and operational concerns that affect the sector’s development and sustainability.
The key issues raised included perceived inconsistencies and unequal treatment in the application of regulations; restrictions on joint employment; stringent academic staff requirements, including requirements concerning the vertical integration of fields of study; restrictions on Law and Teacher Education programs; and the absence of an effective appeal mechanism.
Other challenges included negative perceptions about private higher education, limited regulatory flexibility, inadequate investment incentives, and insufficient support from industry in providing internship opportunities for students.
Challenges Identified by the Education and Training Authority
Tamiru Mesfin, Head of the Director General’s Office at the Education and Training Authority (ETA), presented the challenges ETA is facing while attempting to assure quality. He clarified that the challenges identified did not necessarily apply to every institution and that the purpose of raising them was to promote constructive dialogue, closer collaboration, and continuous improvement. The challenges identified by the Authority included:
- Failure by institutions to meet the minimum requirements established by the Authority.
- Failure to respond to feedback provided by ETA.
- Inadequate implementation of internal quality assurance systems in line with established standards.
- Delays in submitting student data and concerns about the completeness and quality of the information provided.
- Lack of initiative to pursue program accreditation.
- Limited institutional commitment to establishing and sustaining effective quality assurance systems.
- Weak institutional systems and continuity, particularly when senior officials leave and are replaced.
- Insufficient use of research-based feedback to improve teaching and learning.
- Inadequate implementation of outcome-based education.
- Difficulties in implementing regulatory requirements because of financial constraints associated with changing economic conditions.
The presentation underscored the importance of strengthening institutional leadership, improving compliance, investing in quality assurance, and building sustainable systems that can support continuous improvement beyond changes in institutional leadership.
Following the presentations, participants raised questions and shared comments, which the presenters addressed and reflected upon.
Emerging Quality Assurance and Regulatory Improvement Initiatives
The Authority’s representatives indicated that initiatives were underway to address some of the challenges raised during the discussion. These included the development of a Quality Assurance Framework and the revision of relevant guidelines in response to feedback from the Private Higher Education Institutions’ Association.
These initiatives were welcomed as opportunities to strengthen collaboration between regulatory bodies and private higher education institutions, improve the clarity and consistency of regulatory requirements, and promote a shared commitment to quality, accountability, and institutional development.
In summary, the panel discussion provided an important platform for dialogue among private higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education, and the Education and Training Authority. It recognized the sector’s substantial contribution to expanding access to higher education, promoting gender participation, diversifying educational delivery, developing the workforce, supporting economic growth, and advancing research and community engagement.
At the same time, the discussion highlighted the need to address regulatory concerns, strengthen institutional quality assurance systems, improve compliance, expand investment incentives, and foster closer collaboration between higher education institutions and the government.
The discussions reaffirmed that the sustainable development of private higher education in Ethiopia requires a balanced approach that recognizes the sector’s contributions, addresses legitimate quality concerns, promotes fair and transparent regulation, and encourages continuous institutional improvement.
The panel brought together representatives of private higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education, and the Education and Training Authority to discuss the sector’s achievements, challenges, and future directions. St. Mary’s University was represented at the panel by Misganaw Solomon (PhD), Vice President for Research and Community Engagement. SMU’s participation reflected its engagement in national higher education policy dialogue and its interest in advancing a quality-driven, collaborative, and sustainable private higher education sector in Ethiopia.
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