‘The Making of a Master Teacher’

The pace at which education coverage has been expanding in Ethiopia in the last decade is nothing less than a phenomenon that in the future, will be regarded as the period of the Great Ethiopian Awakening.
Educational institutions of all levels and disciplines sprout as if by magic but have still not quenched the huge national demand for learning opportunities. Of course, not all that many of the new private colleges and universities do a professional job nor do they produce promising graduates. It is expected and hoped that over time, the higher education sector would be more qualitative than quantitative. A new arrival to the sector is Zerihun Desta University College ZDUC, and seems determined to set a new standard. Capital's Tedla Desta, discussed the establishment of Ethiopia's latest center of higher education with owner/founder Dr. Leulseged Alemayehu. Excerpts follow:
Dr. Leulseged Alemayehu has a B.Sc in Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Co., USA, M.Sc (Doctor of Education), and University of Southern Cal., LA.,
USA and Ed.D.(Doctor of Education), from the University of Southern Cal., LA., USA.

He has in 2001 consulted for the Assessment of the Ethiopian Education system; for the African Development Bank, the World Bank and UNESCO (1976-2001), and also served at UNESCO/UNFPA, SIDA in different posts.
Presently in the process of finalizing the establishment of the Zerihun Desta University College,
He was from 1995 -2001, Founder of Yenegew Sew Education Share Co, establishing the Yenegew Sew Private Elementary and Secondary Schools.
Dr. Leulseged was the First Ethiopian Principal of the Medhane Alem School from 1965-69, the largest school at the time, which combined elementary and secondary levels.

Capital - Tell us about the inception of Zerihun Desta University College, ZDUC?
Dr. Leulseged Alemayehu - In a nutshell, after working abroad for the United Nations for 22 years, I thought I should come back and make a contribution for the country that educated me. So I started with Yenegew Sew and made it a share company but true to the warnings of many of my friends, it didn't work. However, I wanted to realize my dreams and leave some legacy and the university was conceived. This is how it all began. Actually for the past eight years, I had been working on another project, the University of Ethiopia, which also didn't work out as I had hoped.
Capital - What is the capital of the Zerihun Desta University College Project?
Dr. Leulseged - The capital is about nine million birr with another four million raised from equity. The rest is loaned from the Construction and Business Bank and within the next few months, the project will be completed.
Capital - In what disciplines will you train?
Dr. Leulseged - Well, we will offer medicine, hotel management, law, midwifery, nursing, dentistry, lab science and others. I am also looking to provide water management, agro industry and engineering technology. All these would be gradually instituted and in three to five years, the second phase, a residential campus at Gejal Gedamba, will be ready.
Capital - When the university college becomes fully operational, what will be its student intake capacity?
Dr. Leulseged - We could have an intake of anywhere between 1000 to 2000 students. The main residential campus in five years, may take up to 11 thousand.
Capital - How is the Geja-Gedemba campus project progressing?
Dr. Leulseged- Since the land has not been handed over to us yet, the project has not started. As soon as the process ends, we will begin construction work. Currently, it is in the hands of the Oromia Regional Government.
Capital - How in your opinion would ZDUC contribute to the development of higher education in Ethiopia?
Dr. Leulseged - It will definitely contribute greatly. Look at how many students are staying idle in their houses after completing high school or even colleges. They are mostly an unemployable surplus so we want to give training that will immediately give them jobs. Raising our people out from this dilemma will be ZDUC's contribution, because we plan on producing an immediately employable work force, with excellent training.
Capital- Are there other business sectors or ventures you are engaged in?
Dr. Leulseged - I am a full time educator. I believe that there is no one you cannot teach. Given the opportunity everybody can learn. It is this opportunity that I want to provide.
Capital - How do you recruit teachers? Are there teachers of such caliber available in the market today?
Dr. Leulseged - I already have in the pipeline lecturers ready to come on visiting lectureships. I am also trying to arrange with a university in the United States, a cooperation arrangement that will allow professors on sabbatical that can come and teach at ZDUC.
Capital - There is a very high turnover of teachers in Ethiopia. How would you tackle this? Also, how do you gauge competence, as there could be professional lecturers who aren't that good in teaching?
Dr. Leulseged - If I were not a good teacher myself, I wouldn't get competent teachers. Let me tell you what we did at Yenegew Sew. We advertised for teachers and had 600 candidates. It took us 90 days to select the top 35 from among them. So the screening is rigorous.
I also wrote a book on personal development, commitment and motivation in order to create good teachers. It is a seven day course which I called, 'The Making of a Master Teacher.'