Am I selfish?
SEMAYAWIT BAHIRU
Pharmacist | Academician | Researcher | Entrepreneur | BDS | Digital Health | Pharmaceutical Market
A Tortuous Journey of an Authentic Soul
Am I selfish?
Can’t I see beyond how I am affected?
Isn’t community my concern?
My answer to the above questions would have been
No, You are not! Yes, You can! Yes, it is! ...(in that order)
Until this week, that is!
As any young lady who is eager to know more. I ask questions.
Especially to those whom I think have a different lens than I do. And this time I was not disappointed! (Considering the experience and profile of the individual, I am not surprised.)
So I resorted to the topic I am exploring and trying to understand these days.
The Promise Land, a.k.a. Autonomous Universities
So I asked, what do you think about it? Since a few minutes before this conversation, the table was discussing how certain public institutions can greatly benefit from being privatized, I didn’t expect a different answer to this question either.
He replied with a disapproving look "That is a neoliberal ideology". And I stared blankly because I didn’t understand why all of a sudden we were on different sides of the notion.
So he went on and explained the impact this will have on students and how this community can't afford to pay for education,
which will then result in systemic inequality. Only those who can afford the fees will be able to further their studies.
I was shocked that this didn’t even cross my mind.
I was only focused on the institution's survival.
That is free from political affiliation, which currently overshadows institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
The New Proclamation sets public universities free from the state financially, operationally, academically, procedurally, and from substantive perspectives.
And maybe a little about how the private sector can stay competitive once these 50-something universities turn their faces to the market and start competing. But not this!
In the current situation, students (undergraduates) are expected to pay back the government 15% of the cost of their education after they graduate, and I see a lot of people struggling to do so. Even when they want to pursue their graduate studies. (it is a requirement)
And in the past year, the cost of the graduate programs has doubled. Which made a lot of individuals reconsider!
So are we losing the one thing we can proudly say about our higher education?
Is education going to be available to only those who can pay?
me and my thoughts
written as authentically as possible
as of July 27, 2023
Semayawit Bahiru
MD/IMG/ 2025 Match applicant, Keen interest in radiology
8 个月semiye with out a bank loan system making the university autonomous is pushing away a lot of compitant students from going to collage and encouraging nepotism.? In a country where illiteracy is rampant I dont think it is a good idea!! Ethiopia dont offer basic need as water and electricity add basic education to that list and the whole country will be doomed.?
Chief Clinical Officer, Clinical, Public Health, PHCU, Quality, Patients Safety, IPC Expert| MD + MPH 7+Years Lived Experience
8 个月No, at least a camera man is infront of you
Grant & Partnership | Disability Inclusion| |Alumni of African ChangeMaker initiative| Young women Mediation Ambassador in the horn of Africa| Beyond Border Scotland Women in Conflict 1325 Alumnae
8 个月This is the sad reality. The education sector has been losing trust for quite some time. High schools are a prime example. Quality education is often seen as a luxury. Those with a higher income can afford to send their children to schools with better resources and instruction, which creates bias where quality education becomes available only to those who can afford it.
(MBA, LLB) Business Development, Executive Coach, Youth Mentor, Curriculum Development & Training Facilitation, Investment Readiness, Strategy Design, Business Model Innovation, MSMEs, Startups, Entrepreneurship
8 个月I think your friend has a point but that is not the full picture. Who said students need to pay upfront? What stops the universities from having a post education payment arrangement divided along lengthy duration? That’s what the rest of the world does. The critical real question then would be, are our universities ready to provide quality education that makes their students preferred for employment and job creation which in turn would drive high demand to be enrolled in the courses they give? At the end of the day, it is business. Everyone will make their cost benefit analysis and decide…. I could keep going but I’ll let it rest here for now.
Game Theory | Strategy | Securities | Investment Banking | Business Development
8 个月Do we even need universities?