The Challenges of Internationalization in EMI Tertiary Education in Ethiopia

Abstract

This chapter concentrates on the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which uses English as a medium of instruction throughout most of its education system. After describing the evolution of the modern education system, and tracing the languages which have been the national medium of instruction in the twentieth century, it examines national and institutional educational policy documents to gauge the extent to which they incorporate an awareness of an international context and internationalization strategies. Data from a questionnaire submitted to four universities complements the national picture. In other countries, English-medium instruction is introduced as a strategy for attracting international students and creating international classrooms; in Ethiopia, where higher education has always taken place through English, what is at stake is the quality of education.