Dr. Aklilu Habte, a national of Ethiopia was born on September 1929 from  Ato Habte Tessema and Wzo Negatwa Gizaw in Addis Abeba. Dr. Aklilu Habte combines thirty-six years (1958-1994) of academic managerial national and international civil service experience, and over 23 years of selective consultancy services, Civil Society Organizations and Diaspora Religious Community volunteer activities. 

 

Prior to assuming retirement and private consultancy activities, he joined and served UNICEF as Chief of the Education Division, and as Special Advisor to the Executive Director of UNICEF (1990-1994).  He was seconded to UNICEF from the World Bank where he served from August 1977 –July 1987 as the Director of the Education and Training Department, as well as special advisor in human resources development to the Vice President of the Africa Region from 1987- 1990.

 

From 1958 to 1974, he was with the Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa successively as: lecturer in education, Head of the Education Department, Dean of the Facilities of Arts and Education, Associate Academic Vice President and lastly as President of the University (1969-1974).   From 1974 to 1977 he served as Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ethiopia.

 

Dr. Aklilu received a Bachelor’s Degree  with distinction from the University Collage of Addis Ababa (later to become Haile Selassie I University) in 1954, Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba, Canada (1955) Master of Education and Doctorate from Ohio State University (1956 and 1958)  and Hon. D.H.L. from Ohio State University (1972).

 

He served and continues to serve on numerous Boards in International Organizations including Executive Board of UNESCO, the Board and the Executive Committee of the International Development Research Center of Canada, International Institute for Educational Planning;  Member and the first President of the International Scientific Communities for the Drafting of a general history of Africa, the Association of African Universities and its executive committee, the Council of the United Nations University; Vice Chairman of the Bureau of the International Congress of Africanists, the International Council  for Educational Development and Board Member of Visitors for the School of Education University of Pittsburgh and Board Member of the Educational Development Center. Member of the Ethiopian delegation to the All African People’s Conference, 1958, Accra, Ghana, and the annual education meetings of the International Bureau of Education and UNESCO 1960, 1961, Geneva, Switzerland. 

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Member of the Ethiopian Delegation to the meeting  of Directors of Education in Tropical African Countries, Addis Ababa 16-20 February 1960, and conference of African States on the Development of Education in Africa 1961, and the Development of Higher Education in Africa, Madagascar 1962.  He also served as Alternate Delegate to the second conference of Heads of African States, Africa Hall in Addis Ababa.   He is a distinguished fellow of the Academy for Educational Development.

 

Dr. Aklilu Habte has authored several articles, monographs and reports in Amharic and English, on education and development.  He is currently in the process of publishing a book on the development of Higher Education in Ethiopia with emphasis on the History of Haile Selassie I University (in Amharic).  He is married to Mrs. Selamawit Wolde-Amanuel and has four sons and a daughter, and is blessed with thirteen grandchildren.

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During his retirement years (1995-present) he continues to be actively involved in numerous international, regional and national, profession educational non-governmental organizations including Global Education Associates (N.Y.), where he served as the Chair of the Board, Board Member of the  Educational Development Center (Boston), President of the Northern Research Review Advisory Group (NORRAG).  His consultancy services include those of the World Bank, UNICEF, Association of African Universities, the Forum for African Women Educationalists and others, focusing heavily on African education and development, reconsidering the development paradigm, Technical Assistance and Identity and Capacity Development. 

 

Dr. Aklilu Habte continues to lecture and lead discussion groups on Pan African issues touching the historical, cultural, religious and social development of Ethiopia and Africa.  He served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the Western Hemisphere and South Africa, Chaired the Board and the Building Development committee of the Debre Selam Kidest Mariam Church of Washington D.C. and Chaired the (Shengo) the Council of Ethiopian Civic Organizations and others.  

 

In recognition of his contributions he has been recognized and awarded numerous medals and certificates of honor from Ethiopia, France, International Associations of University Presidents and Civic Organizations.