AAU at a glance

Addis Ababa University (AAU), which was established in 1950 as the University College of Addis Ababa (UCAA), is the oldest and the largest higher learning and research institution in Ethiopia. Since its inception, the University has been the leading center in teaching-learning, research and community services.

Beginning with enrollment capacity of 33 students in 1950, AAU now has 47,610 students (29,872 undergraduate, 15,398 Master’s and 2,340 PhD students) and 8,709 staff (3,110 academics, 4,346 admin support staff and 1253 health Professionals). In its 14 campuses, the University runs 70 undergraduate and 293 graduate programs (72 PhD and 221 Masters), and various specializations in Health Sciences.

Over 222,000 students have graduated from AAU since its establishment.

The University is led by a President who is assisted by four Vice Presidents and one Executive Director: Academic Vice President, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, Vice President for Administration and Student Services, Vice President for Institutional Development and the Executive Director of the College of Health Sciences (with the rank of Vice President).

In recent years, the University has been undertaking various reform schemes in order to cope with and respond to the fast-changing national and international educational dynamics. At present the University has 10 colleges, 4 institutes that run both teaching and research, and 6 research institutes that predominantly conduct research. Within these academic units, there are 55 departments, 12 centers, 12 schools, and 2 teaching hospitals. The University has the following academic units:

Colleges

  1. College of Social Sciences
  2. College of Humanities, Language Studies, Journalism and communication
  3. College of Development Studies
  4. College of Business and Economics
  5. College of Law and Governance Studies
  6. College of Education and Behavioral Studies
  7. College of Natural and Computational Sciences
  8. Skunder Boghossian College of Performing and Visual Arts
  9. College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture
  10. College of Health Sciences

Research and Teaching Institutes 

  1. Academy of Ethiopian Languages and Cultures
  2. Addis Ababa Institute of Technology
  3. Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology
  4. Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development
  5. Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources
  6. Institute of Biotechnology
  7. Institute of Educational Research
  8. Institute of Ethiopian Studies
  9. Institute of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy
  10. Institute of Peace and Security Studies
  11. Academy of Ethiopian Languages and Cultures
  12. Horn of Africa Regional Center and Environment Network

 Schools

  1. Alle School of Fine Arts and Design
  2. School of Allied Health Sciences
  3. School of Commerce
  4. School of Earth and Planetary Sciences
  5. School of Information Science
  6. School of Journalism and Communications
  7. School of Medicine
  8. School of Pharmacy
  9. School of Public Health
  10. School of Social Work
  11. Yared School of Music
  12. Yoftahe Nigussie School of Theatrical Arts

The AAU (Addis Ababa University) hosts various international cooperation projects in various fields of study. Among those successful international cooperation is the research project on “Synthesis and Device Characterization of Organic Semiconductors”, which is implemented by AAU (via the departments of Physics and Chemistry) in collaboration with ISP (IPPS), Uppsala University. The project has been running since 1995 until today and is renewed every 3 years based on strict evaluation of its activities and performance. The department obtained ALC ACCESS GRANT 2007-09-09 of Rand 208,415 in 2008 and ALC ACCESS GRANT 2008-09-09 of Rand 208,415 in 2009 for research in atmospheric physics from African Laser Centre.

Besides the teaching/research activities, the Department of Physics of AAU had successfully organized: i) an international workshop on “Active Learning in Optics and Photonics” in collaboration with UNESCO held during 18-24, of November, 2013, and ii) an international school on “Climate Modeling” held in November 2009, 2011 and 2013 for two weeks in collaboration with the International Centre for theoretical Physics (ICTP). The Department also successfully managed the summer school in collaboration with materials science program at the College of Natural and computational Sciences that was sponsored by ICTP in last year and will be held again this summer. Currently the Department has active collaboration with Yancheng Institute of Technology (China) were students take course work at AAU and do their research in China. In this project AAU will send 30 PhD students from Physics, Chemistry and Material Sciences (already Physics sent six students and one of them successfully defended his PhD work on February 2021). The Department has organized International Heliophysical Year (IHY)-Africa Space Weather Science and Education Workshop, Nov. 2007 and Longitude and Hemispheric Dependence of Space Weather – AGU Chapman workshop, November 2012.

Contact Details


Main Registrar Offices 

Tilahun Tesfaye (PhD)
University Registrar
Main Registrar Building Room No. 107
Tel: +251-118-278433, +251-111-239706
Email: tilahun.tesfaye@aau.edu.et

Mesele Berhanu, University Deputy Registrar
Main Registrar Building Room No. 106
Tel: +251-118-278433, +251-111-239706
Email: mesele.berhanu@aau.edu.et
Email: b.mesele@yahoo.com
Email: , Office for External Relations, Partenerships and communications Main Camups (6 kilo) Registrar Building 4th floor. Office Telephone: +251-111-23-97-05

Office of External Relations, Partnerships and communication Contact Person: 

Meberat Melaku
Team Leader, Office of External Relations, Partnerships &amp Communication
Tel.: +251 111239705 (Office)
Mobile: +251 913049329
Email: mebrat.melkau@aau.edu.et

PAPSSN Local coordinator:

Dr. Teshome Senbeta
Department of Physics
College of Natural and Computational Sciences
Addis Ababa University
Tel.: +151-111-54-58-16 (Office)
Mobile: +251-911-97-65-83

Local Contact Person

Mr. Gedefaw Arega
Department of Physics
College of Natural and Computational Sciences
Addis Ababa University
Telephone: +151-111-54-58-16 (Office)
Mobile: +251-912-84-17-87
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

More about Ethiopia:

  • Strategic Communications and Internationalization http://www.aau.edu.et/
  • Contact Email: vpsci@aau.edu.et
  • A single person estimated monthly costs are $768.3 without rent.
  • For more cost of living information, check Numbeo.
  • Accommodation for visiting staff is not available.
  • For Ethiopia visa application, visit: Ethiopia Visa Application
  • Language of Instruction: English.