CONVOCATION OF HAILE SELASSIE I UNIVERSITY
..... Leadership developed here should be guided by
the fundamental values and moral power which have for centuries constituted the
essence of our religious teachings.....Discipline of the mind is a basic
ingredient of genuine morality and therefore of spiritual strength. Indeed, a
university, taken in all its aspects, is essentially a spiritual enterprise
which, along with the knowledge and training it imparts, leads students into more
wise living and a greater sensitivity to life’s responsibilities.....
This is a most historic occasion for Us,
and for the entire Ethiopian people. Today, the first convocation of this
University, affords Us Our first opportunity, as Chancellor, to address the
Governors, the Faculty, and the students as a single group.
We welcome and greet you all on this
occasion. You who have in the past, either as teachers or students, been united
in spirit although members of diverse educational institutions, are now truly
united in this University. We welcome the members of the Board of Governors,
who will direct the policy of the University. We welcome the administrators,
who will provide the framework within which teacher and student alike will
work. We welcome you, the professors, the instructors, the lecturers, to whom
has been confided the task of leading our youth to higher levels of knowledge
and learning. We welcome the students, our own and those from other lands, who
will study here and from among whom will come future leaders.
We may pause briefly now to enquire why
this University is being established, what goals it is seeking to achieve, what
results we may expect of it and what contributions it can reasonably be
expected to make.
A fundamental
objective of the University must be the safeguarding and the developing of the
culture of the people which it serves. This University is a product of that
culture; it is the grouping together of those capable of understanding and
using the accumulated heritage of the Ethiopian people. In this University men
and women will, working in association with one another, study the well-springs
of our culture, trace its development, and mould its future. That which enables
Us today to open a university of such a standard is the wealth of literature
and learning now extinct elsewhere in the world which through hard work and
perseverance our forefathers have preserved for us. On this occasion We would
like to remember with gratitude these fathers of great learning among whom We
quote a few names such as Yared, Abba Giorgis of Gasicha, Absadi of Insaro,
Wolde-Ab Wolde Mikael, Arat Ayina Goshu, Memihir Akala Wold and Aleka Gabra
Medihin.
Music, drama and other forms of art are
rooted in the ancient history of our Empire, and their development to an even
higher peak of perfection will be possible in the atmosphere of a university.
Ethiopia is possessed of an ancient literature, and its study can be fostered
here so that the Ethiopian youth, inspired by this national example, may raise
it to yet higher levels of excellence. The study of the heroic history of Our
Empire will stimulate the imagination of budding authors and teachers. The
understanding of that philosophy of life which is the basis of our traditional
customs will lead us all to a better understanding of our nation and of our
nation’s expression through the arts.
Spiritual Qualities No Longer Enough
The immediate and practical aim of this institution
obviously is to educate the Ethiopian youth and to prepare them to serve their
country. Although such education may be technical, it must nonetheless be
founded on Ethiopia’s cultural heritage if it is to bear fruit and if the
student is to be well adapted to his environment and the effective use of his
skills facilitated.
Time was when strength and endurance, courage and
faith, were sufficient to make leadership equal to the task. But times have
changed and these spiritual qualities are no longer enough. Today, knowledge
and training, as provided largely in the universities of the world, have become
essential, and today leadership and advancement, both national and
international, rely heavily upon the products of universities. Even as Mr.
Tubman, Mr. U-Nu, Madame Bandaranaika and Mr. U Thant were each educated in
their own land, We trust that this University will produce leaders of comparable
stature. In all countries of the modern world, special competence is required
to deal with the advancement of agriculture, industry, commerce, and the civil
service. That competence can be secured only through facilities which are
provided in modern universities. We have often pointed out that the future of
Ethiopia is largely conditioned upon accelerated agricultural development, upon
mineral exploit-ation and upon industrial expansion. Her survival depends on
these, but they, in turn, depend upon the competence of those who have received
and who will receive the essential education and training. It is Our confident
hope that this institution, which has been planned for many years will provide
here, in our own land, for our own youth, the higher education and the
specialized training required for such development.
That which man dreams of and to which he aspires,
unless fulfilled in his own lifetime, can produce no actual satisfaction to
him. As for Us, thanks be unto God that in the founding of this University We
have realized a lifelong aspiration.
Fundamental Values and Moral Power
Considering the role of universities in a
broader sense, We are persuaded that these institutions stand today as the most
promising hope for constructive solutions to the problems that beset the modern
world – problems which prevent the peaceful co-operation of nations, problems
which threaten the world and humanity with death and disaster. From the
universities must come men, ideas, knowledge, experience, technical skills, and
the deep humane understanding vital to fruitful relations among nations.
Without these, world order, for which We have so long strived, cannot be
established. From the universities, too, must come that ability which is the
most valuable attribute of civilized men every-where; the ability to transcend
narrow passions and to engage in honest conversation; for civilization is by
nature “the victory of persuasion over force.” Unity is strength.
No nation can divide within itself and
remain powerful. It is this strong conviction that underlies the decision to
plan for the well-organized and co-ordinated system of education, training, and
research which a university represents. A university is the fountain of
learning; seek knowledge, and there you shall find it.
Nor can we ignore
the importance of the spiritual in this academic life. Learning and technical
training must be nurtured by faith in God, reverence for the human soul, and
respect for the reasoning mind. There is no safer anchorage for our learning,
our lives, and our public actions than that provided by Divine teachings
coupled with the best in human understanding. Leadership developed here should
be guided by the fundamental values and the moral power which have for
centuries constituted the essence of our religious teachings. These are crucial
times when nations rise against nations. Tensions increase, and disaster is
possible at any moment. Distances are shrinking; peace and life are threatened
by misunderstanding and conflict. Now is the time when the sincere belief in
man’s kinship to God must be the foundation for all of man’s efforts for
enlight-enment and learning – the basis for all understanding, co-operation and
peace. We charge all of you, the members of this University, that these special
values remain foremost, as a foundation for your knowledge and thought, so that
the fundamental moral truths will buttress and support the whole structure of
university life.
Discipline of the mind is a basic
ingredient of genuine morality and therefore of spiritual strength. Indeed, a
university, taken in all its aspects, is essentially a spiritual enterprise
which, along with the knowledge and training it imparts, leads students into
more wise living and a greater sensitivity to life’s responsibilities. Up to
the present, technical training has been achieved through the College of
Engineering and in the Ethio-Swedish Building College. These institutions, We
trust, which are now merged into the University, will be expanded and developed
so that the number of competent Ethiopian technicians will continue to
increase.
Education: An Investment
Education is
costly, and higher education is the most costly of all. But it is also an
investment, a very profitable investment, and the money spent in coordinating, strengthening,
and expanding higher education in Ethiopia is well invested. We are proud of
Our people’s recognition of the value of education. Their concerted effort in
the building of schools and other social activities is most gratifying.
Educational institutions, unlike business enterprises, do not exist and operate
for profits in dollars and cents. They exist to perform public services, and
they are judged by the effectiveness and economy with which they perform these
services.
To the Board of
Governors, to the administrators, We recommend economy, so that the benefits of
the University can be enjoyed by as many of our young men and women as
possible. Not a dollar should be wasted of the money so hardly earned and so
generously contributed by our own Government and by the Governments of other
nations. Plan thoughtfully, supervise closely, and manage economically, to the
end that the greatest possible return may be realized in the preparation of
competent manpower, in useful research and in training both technical and moral
leadership. An immediate gain of the consolidation and coordination, the centralization
of resources and operations, should be a saving in costs, and We urge all to
co-operate fully in the attempt to realize this objective. Diligence is
demanded in developing this University as rapidly as possible to meet the
compelling needs of Our Empire.
We would ask that extraordinary emphasis
be placed on the training of teachers for our primary and secondary schools.
The educational process cannot be a narrow column; it must be in the shape of a
pyramid and broadly based. To provide this broad base, large numbers of
teachers are required, and we have a duty to provide Ethiopian teachers for
these schools. This is why We have established teacher training centres in
Harar and other places.
Need For Various Disciplines
The study of the humanities must not be neglected, and
the College of Arts and Sciences must be strengthened and encouraged to develop
its studies. These are the subjects which contribute most to the understanding
and growth of our cultural heritage, and so assist in fulfilling one of the
University’s primary aims. These studies, which are concerned with human
cultural achievements, human rights, and duties, human freedoms, will enable
youth to develop the understanding and judgment necessary to the formulation of
a sound philosophy of life, to the making of wise choices, and to understanding
what is involved in these choices. These young people face a world beset with
the most effectively organized programme of deceptive propaganda and of thinly
screened operations ever known; they deserve the best that can be taught by
their parents, by religious institutions and by the University, to prepare them
for a wise choice among contending ideals.
We would ask for the immediate founding of a graduate
Faculty of Law, where our own graduates may be trained to enter the legal
profession. Our Empire has need, in its government, its commerce, for
well-educated lawyers, and particularly for those who have been trained in
their own university, in their own codes and customs. We would also ask for the
organization of a Faculty of Medicine in the near future. The training of
doctors is a long and arduous process, and this very fact makes it all the more
urgent that our own faculty be inaugurated as soon as possible.
While laying great stress on education for our younger
citizens, we should not forget the obligation and the opportunity which the
University will have with respect to the older citizens. As We study the plans
and projects of this University, We realize that much attention is being given
to the extension of its usefulness to the entire population, in the form of
extension courses and lectures. This is according to Our wish. Haile Selassie I
University should attempt, either at this main site or at a branch, to serve
every qualified citizen who wishes and is able to avail himself of the resources
of the University if he is willing to do the required work.
Highest Calling
We do not suggest that the list of needs which We have
mentioned is complete, but they represent needs to which this University is
seeking to respond. The heaviest responsibility will, naturally, fall on the
faculty. Theirs is the job in the knowledge and in the special skills. We may
all be proud of the Ethiopian members of the faculty who have adopted this
highest of callings and who have in the past and will continue in the future to
render great service to their nation. The teachers who, in the past, coming
from many different countries, have discharged the duty of educating Ethiopia’s
young men and women have earned Our appreciation and gratitude and the
appreciation and gratitude of all of us. Their example should spur on those who
staff the faculty of the University to pursue their tasks with diligence and to
spare no effort to ensure that their teaching inspires those who study in their
classrooms.
We
sincerely thank Dr. Lucien Matte who assisted Us for many years with loyalty,
devotion and diligence in Our efforts for the progress of education in Our
country and in the establishment of the University College of Addis Ababa which
is one of the affiliated institutions of the Haile Selassie I University.
Also We wish to remember the late Mr. A. Besse who was
one of those who have generously contributed towards the establishment of this
University.
All of you must maintain the highest standards in your
instruction in order that the overall standard of this University may be second
to none. Work together in harmony, as a team, in raising this institution to
the highest academic levels. Each of you must do his part to contribute to the
advancement of knowledge. You must above all be scholarly, for it is by deeds
rather than by words that you can most effectively inspire your students to
heed your words. Each of you should consider it his duty to pursue research in
your own field of study, for you will thereby bring renown both upon yourselves
and upon the institution.
On many occasions during recent years, We have had the
opportunity to speak to our students. We trust that Our love and consideration
for them and the deep interest which We feel in their progress has been felt
and understood. Today, We have dedicated Our home, which We received from Our
noble father, to their service, as a free gift to the nation, in the hope that
We thus contribute to the opportunity for them to prepare for fruitful careers.
We ask that each student who passes through these
halls devote himself to the development of his mind and body, his mental and
physical prowess, so as to be better able to serve his country and his fellow
countrymen. Choose the field of study which best suits your talents, continue
unwavering in your diligent studies, prepare yourself for service in what-ever
profession you may best be fitted. God grant you success.
Dec. 19, 1961.
Selected Speeches of His
Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie - page 19 –
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