Institute of Ethiopian Studies

Institute of Ethiopian Studies
Name	Institute of Ethiopian Studies
Established	1963
Location	Addis Ababa
Parent organization	Haile Selassie I University

Contents

Institute of Ethiopian Studies The Institute of Ethiopian Studies is a research institute and museum located in Addis Ababa associated with Haile Selassie I University (now Addis Ababa University). Founded during the reign of Haile Selassie in the early 1960s, the institute collects, preserves, and studies artifacts, manuscripts, and oral histories relating to Ethiopia and the broader Horn of Africa. Its holdings and programs engage with scholars and institutions such as British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Università di Napoli, and Leiden University.

History

The institute was established in 1963 under influence from figures such as Haile Selassie, Tekle Hawariat, Sylvia Pankhurst, and scholars linked to Oxford University, Cambridge University, Harvard University, SOAS University of London, University of Chicago, and Princeton University. Early development involved curators and researchers from Royal Anthropological Institute, Rijksmuseum, Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Wellcome Trust. Collections expanded through acquisitions related to the Battle of Adwa, the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, and materials connected to the Zemene Mesafint and Solomonic dynasty. During periods involving Derg rule and the 1974 revolution, the institute navigated shifting policies from ministries such as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and interacted with agencies including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and World Bank.

The institute's mission aligns with initiatives promoted by International Council on Archives, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, and regional bodies like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Its collections span manuscripts in Ge'ez, Amharic, Tigrinya, and Oromo scripts, diplomatic correspondence connected to treaties like the Treaty of Wuchale, land charters from the Gadaa system, and liturgical texts associated with Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Objects include regalia tied to the Solomonic dynasty, iconography linked to Saint Yared, textiles from Harar, pottery from Afar, and coins referencing Emperor Menelik II and Emperor Tewodros II. The institute holds oral histories of figures such as Ras Mekonnen, Empress Zewditu, Meles Zenawi, and cultural materials related to Ras Tafari and the Rastafari movement.

The museum displays artifacts alongside archival holdings including letters from diplomats like Prince Makonnen, maps tracing routes of explorers such as Richard Burton, and manuscripts copied by scribes influenced by Abuna Salama II. Archives collaborate with repositories such as National Archives and Records Administration, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Vatican Secret Archives. Exhibits have juxtaposed items connected to Battle of Adwa, photographs by Petrus Erasmus Marinus van der Post and photographers associated with Associated Press, and oral recordings featuring performers like Aster Aweke, Tilahun Gessesse, and Mulatu Astatke. Conservation programs reference standards from International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property and coordinate with Getty Conservation Institute.

Scholarship produced at the institute engages with research strands comparable to work at Centre for African Studies, Cambridge, African Studies Center, Leiden, and Institute of Development Studies. Publications include monographs and journals that have hosted articles on topics intersecting with studies of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Aksumite Empire, the Kingdom of Aksum, trade links with Kingdom of Sheba, and interactions with Ottoman Empire, Portuguese Empire, and Italian Empire. The institute has published catalogues, bibliographies, and edited volumes in collaboration with presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Brill, Routledge, Indiana University Press, and University of California Press. Research projects have partnered with funding bodies like Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, and European Research Council.

Educational activities include seminars, workshops, and public lectures drawing speakers from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopian National Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Institute of Ethiopian Studies Museum, and international centers such as Institute of African Studies, Columbia University, School of Oriental and African Studies, and University of Cape Town. Outreach targets communities in regions like Tigray Region, Amhara Region, Oromia Region, Somali Region, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, and collaborates with NGOs including Save the Children, CARE International, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch on oral history and cultural heritage projects. Educational partnerships extend to programs supported by British Council, DAAD, Fulbright Program, and Erasmus+.

Governance has reflected oversight by academic bodies such as Addis Ababa University Senate and advisory councils including members drawn from Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and international partners like Smithsonian Institution and British Council. Directors and administrators have engaged scholars affiliated with University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, SOAS University of London, University of California, Los Angeles, and Leiden University. Administrative practices adhere to guidelines of International Council on Archives and financial reporting aligned with donors such as United Nations Development Programme and European Union.

Category:Research institutes in Ethiopia