On Thursday, July 25, 1957, His Imperial
Majesty Haile Selassie I, opened the new
Technological Building and laid the
cornerstone
for the construction of a new building
house for
practical mechanical arts, in the
compound of
the Imperial Engineering College. At the
ceremony His Imperial Majesty made the
following speech:
"The benefits of technical knowledge
in any country,
in the fields of social advancement and
the development
of a nation, are indeed tremendous. In
opening this
College, in which technology, one of the
products of
scientific achievements is to be taught,
and in laying
beside it the cornerstone of still
another building in
which practical mechanical training will
be taught, We
are ever thankful to God for His
blessings for those We
have founded previously.
Many are the countries which have
benefitted
immensely from the endowments of science
in the fields
of human welfare and national
development. It is with
the desire that Ethiopia should share in
these benefits
that We have established this College.
Ethiopia, with her vast fertile lands,
can compete
with those nations which have attained a
higher degree
of prosperity through the development of
their
agriculture.
Although detailed studies and surveys
have not been
fully made, there can be no doubt that
Ethiopia possesses
the necessary mineral wealth for her own
use. Moreover,
Ethiopia is endowed with considerable
water resources
fully suitable for hydro-electric power
stations, which
could contribute to the realization of
great development
projects.
While these are things basically essential for a
nation's industrial development to
become strong and
prosperous, there is one thing else
which counts
above all others and in which Ethiopia
is, in addition,
endowed by God and which many other
countries do
not have - that is freedom.
Many countries, while not lacking in
natural wealth
and man-power to enable them to reach a
higher
degree of development and
self-sufficiency, have, however,
been unable fully to benefit from and to
enjoy their
natural riches because they do not
possess their independence.
Since Ethiopia has been blessed with the
Heavenly
Grace of being a fully independent
nation, and only the
lack of adequate education has hindered
her from profitting
from the circumstances and advantages of
this
blessing, We have personally devoted
most of Our efforts
towards the development and expansion of
education in
Our country, giving it priority over all
Our other duties.
We have, therefore, established this
Technical
College, from which the present as well
as future generations
may profit. Since it is also Our
determined aim to
see agricultural education thrive, it is
appropriate to
make mention here of the Agricultural
College, We have
established at Alem-Maya in Harar.
Knowledge which cannot be used for
practical
purposes is like a flower which bears no
fruit. We
realize, therefore, that it would be of
still greater advantage
if, at this stage, Our educational
planning could be
more directed towards technical
training, and We shall
not desist from doing all possible and
necessary towards
reaching this goal.
We wish that all of you students who
will be trained
in this College shall be able to show
your knowledge
and
achievements by the services you will render from
the higher technical training you will
acquire in this
institution.
We would like to express Our
appreciation to your
teachers who are devoting their time and
energy in
sharing their
knowledge with you."
Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 8 -
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