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 everywhere; 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 enlightenment 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 whatever profession you may best be
fitted. God grant you success.
Dec. 19, 1961.
Selected Speeches of His
Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie - page 19 –
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen