Electrical engineering at the University of Asmara, Eritrea

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Jul 1998 by Haysom, Mal

Abstract The author attended the University of Asmara as an electrical engineering lecturer from January to July, 1997. This paper reviews Eritrean history leading to the re-establishment of the University in 1991 and describes the author's experience of the interaction of the teaching process with the local culture.

1 INTRODUCTION I attended the University of Asmara as an electrical engineering lecturer for the period January to July 1997. The experience was a convincing, rewarding, and at times frustrating, demonstration that lecturers must be responsive to the cultural background of their students in order to present subject material effectively.

The initial sections of this paper review Eritrean history leading to the re-establishment of the University of Asmara in 1991. Following the initial sections, I provide information about the Australian organisation that has arranged for engineering lecturers to attend the University of Asmara. In the body of the paper I describe some of my experiences in interacting with the students and how my growing awareness of their culture proved to be important to the teaching process.

2 ERITREA The borders of Eritrea include more than 900 kilometres of Red Sea coast. This section of the Red Sea coast provides access to the upper reaches of the Nile, so that it is not surprising that activity by traders and adventurers in the region dates back to prehistory. The Italians established the boundaries of Eritrea during their occupation from 1869 to 1941 and the Italian influence is very evident in Eritrean architecture, engineering and cuisine. Words derived from Italian appear in the local languages for some mechanical and food items. The Italians were displaced by the British during World War II and the fate of Eritrea fell to the United Nations (UN). In this arena, Ethiopia argued for its total control of Eritrea, while Eritrea argued for its independence. The UN compromise of making Eritrea an autonomous region of Ethiopia was doomed to failure and in 1962 Ethiopia unilaterally dissolved the Eritrean Parliament and annexed Eritrea.

The Eritreans rebelled against Ethiopian control, and, after thirty years of fighting, Eritrea was liberated by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, EPLF, in May 1991. The Eritrean nation has made steady progress towards becoming a fully democratic country since that time. Admission to full membership of the UN was achieved in 1993.

The population of Eritrea is composed of seven tribes, each with their own language (though Tigrinya and Arabic dominate) and the religions of Coptic Christianity and Islam peacefully coexist. The official business language and the language of presentation at the University is English. The language of instruction in secondary schools is also English, so achievers in the school system are relatively proficient in English.

3 UNIVERSITY OF ASMARA Asmara is the largest city and capital of Eritrea and, fortunately, unlike the major port, Massawa, it was not damaged during the struggle for independence. The University of Asmara was established as the Holy Family University Institute by the missionary congregation Piae Matres Nigritiaell (Comboni Sisters) in 1958 with Italian as the language of instruction. By 1977 the University had come under the control of the Ethiopian Commission for Higher Education and English was the sole language of instruction. In 1990, when Ethiopia was facing defeat in Eritrea, the University was disbanded and its staff and movable property were transferred to Ethiopia. It was re-established as an autonomous university by the Provisional Government of Eritrea in October 1991 with the Faculties of Natural Science, Social Science, Agriculture, Law and Languages. The current student enrolment is about two thousand.

The Engineering Program (a program is considered to be `more than a department, less than a faculty') is part of the Faculty of Natural Science and offers three year diploma courses in Electrical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering. The intention is that the courses will become four year bachelor degree courses and that the Engineering Program will become the Engineering Faculty as further teaching laboratories are established.

4 FRED HOLLOWS ERITREAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING FUND Fred Hollows, former Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), was named Australian of the Year in 1991. The Fred Hollows Eritrean Education and Training Fund (FHEETF), was established by the UNSW to support a cause highly favoured by Fred Hollows, the handing on of technical skills to the people of Eritrea. With the support of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), a project was initiated with the University of Asmara to establish its Engineering Program. Part of FHEETF's support to the University was a commitment to supply Australian Fellows for a six to twelve month academic placement in the University of Asmara Engineering Program to present material and develop curriculum. I was selected by FHEETF to present Electrical Engineering subjects (principally, electronics, measurement engineering and laboratory practice) to thirteen final year students for the semester January to June 1997.