Ethiopia Approves Regulation to Establish Artificial Intelligence University
A month after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed first informed parliament of plans to establish a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) university, the Counc
A month after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed first informed parliament of plans to establish a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) university, the Council of Ministers has formally approved the draft regulation to create the institution during its 53rd session.
The Council’s decision establishes the AI University as an autonomous institution under Proclamation No. 1294/2015, which governs university autonomy. The regulation, refined through extensive deliberation and input from Council members, will come into force upon publication in the Federal Negarit Gazette. The university is mandated to train students in artificial intelligence and related fields and to produce scholars critical for Ethiopia’s national development.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initially announced the initiative to the House of Peoples’ Representatives on February 2, 2026, highlighting that the university will emphasize applied disciplines such as machine learning, advanced computing, robotics, and data mining. He noted that instruction will leverage expertise from the Ethiopian diaspora and international scholars, and that 100 scholarships will be reserved for students from other African countries. Construction and foundational activities are already underway, with the university expected to begin operations within the next Ethiopian fiscal year.
In the same session, the Council approved a regulation outlining conditions for investor compensation to encourage participation in large-scale projects and priority sectors. It also ratified three development loans: a $60.2 million interest-free loan from Korea’s Exim Bank for power expansion (0.1% service fee, 40-year term with 15-year grace); an €80 million loan from AFD for energy and digitalization (1.2% interest, 0.5% service fee, 20-year term with 7-year grace); and an SDR 184.1 million interest-free loan from the IDA for urban resilience and job creation, with service fees and repayment terms yet unspecified.
SOURCE: shega.co
