Policy Enactment and Institutional Readiness for Artificial Intelligence in Ethiopian Higher Education: A Multilevel Analysis of Challenges and Capacity Gaps
Main Article Content
Abstract
Ethiopia has emerged as a continental leader in artificial intelligence (AI) policy, establishing the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (2020), approving a National AI Policy (2024), and committing US$324 million to the world's second AI-dedicated university (scheduled for 2027). However, the translation of this ambitious national vision into institutional practice within higher education remains critically under-examined. This study investigates AI policy enactment and institutional readiness across Ethiopian higher education institutions (HEIs), examining the alignment between national policy aspirations and implementation capacity at macro, meso, and micro levels. Drawing on Stephen Ball's Policy Enactment Framework, the study employed a qualitative multilevel case study design. Data were collected through policy document analysis, institutional records, semi-structured interviews with 400 stakeholders (policymakers, university administrators, faculty, and students), surveys of faculty AI literacy (N=376), and observational site visits across seven purposively selected Ethiopian public universities. Ethiopia has made significant policy advances, but a substantial readiness gap persists. Infrastructure limitations, particularly inadequate internet connectivity and computing resources, remain critical obstacles. Faculty AI literacy is limited, with only 35% reporting basic awareness and 8% competence in curriculum development. Institutional readiness varies considerably, with some universities demonstrating strategic vision while others lack coherent AI strategies. Cross-cutting challenges include weak governance structures, data privacy vulnerabilities, and institutional resistance to change. The successful integration of AI in Ethiopian higher education requires coordinated action across all levels of the education system. Without deliberate, equity-focused interventions, AI adoption risks exacerbating existing educational inequalities between urban and regional institutions. Policymakers should finalise the National AI Policy with clear implementation guidelines and allocate dedicated funding for existing universities. University administrators should develop institutional AI strategic plans, invest in ICT infrastructure, and establish innovation hubs. Faculty must participate in structured AI literacy programmes and integrate AI content across disciplines. Development partners should support infrastructure development and facilitate South-South cooperation on AI in education.
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Goshu, B. S. (2026). Policy Enactment and Institutional Readiness for Artificial Intelligence in Ethiopian Higher Education: A Multilevel Analysis of Challenges and Capacity Gaps. Matondang Journal, 6(1), 12-26. Retrieved from https://biarjournal.com/index.php/matondang/article/view/1540
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References
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ar.ichei.org. (2026). Digital and AI technologies in Ethiopian higher education.
arin-africa.org. (n.d.). Lack of multidisciplinary integration in AI education remains a critical challenge in African universities.
Ateneo de Manila University. (2026). Higher education leaders' experiences of managing the adoption of generative artificial intelligence technologies: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Bahir Dar University. (n.d.). Background | Bahir Dar University Faculty of Computing. https://www.bdu.edu.et[reference:98]
Ball, S. J., Maguire, M., & Braun, A. (2012). How schools do policy: Policy enactments in secondary schools. Routledge.
Belmont Report. (1979). Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
Birhanu, E. T., Tefera, G. W., Tilwani, S. A., Terefe, B., & Shiferaw, Y. G. (2026). Adapting and validating an artificial intelligence literacy scale for Ethiopian higher education using structural equation modeling. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 6(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01149-8[reference:99]
Bozkurt, A., Karadeniz, A., & Kocdar, S. (2020). Artificial intelligence in education: Current insights and future potential. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 35(3), 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2020.1816724
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Capital Ethiopia. (2025, April 28). Outdated university curricula hinder Ethiopia's AI ambitions. https://capitalethiopia.com
Chen, L., Chen, P., & Lin, Z. (2020). Artificial intelligence in education: A review. IEEE Access, 8, 75264–75278. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2988510
Commonwealth of Learning. (2026). West African stakeholders call for more Open Educational Resource safeguards in the age of AI.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Debre Berhan University. (2025, October 7). Internal curriculum validation workshop, Bsc in Information Science and Technology. https://www.dbu.edu.et
Denzin, N. K. (1978). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Digital Education Council. (2025). AI Readiness Framework. https://vdc.edu.au
ENA. (2026, April 23). Ethiopia's AI moment: From rising to continental guide. https://www.ena.et
European Commission. (2025). Comparing AI literacy policies in the European Union, the United States, India, and China. ScienceDirect.
Evisions. (2025). AI primer for higher education: Building a foundation for what's next. https://www.evisions.com
Frontiers. (2025). Generative AI governance in higher education: A case study from Africa. Frontiers in Political Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2025.1666661
FundsBeeline. (2026, February 12). Ethiopia's first AI-focused university set to open in 2027. https://www.fundsbeeline.com
Garuda. (n.d.). AI governance in education: Global North and Global South perspectives. Garuda - Garba Rujukan Digital.
Goshu, B. (2025). Transforming science education in Ethiopian higher education: Harnessing artificial intelligence for innovation and equity. Turkish Journal of Teacher Education, 14(2), 102–120.
Goshu, B.S. and M. Ridwan, (2026). Bridging the Divide: Unpacking the Perception-Practice Gap in Blended Learning Implementation among Natural Science Educators in Ethiopian Applied Universities, Budapest International Research and Critics in Linguistics and Education (BirLE) Journal, 9(2), 127-146
Haramaya University. (2026, June 22). Technology integration into undergraduate curricula and instructional settings in Ethiopian public universities. http://ir.haramaya.edu.et[reference:110]
IDRC. (2025, November 18). AI4D-FCDO labs: Ethiopia. https://idrc-crdi.ca[reference:111]
IRB Policy 260 – Informed Consent. (2026). Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Jauhiainen, J. S., & Toppari, A. (2025). Exploring generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and AI agents in research and teaching: Concepts and practical cases. arXiv. https://scale.stanford.edu
Journal of Jimma University. (2025, October 4). Exploring the utilization of technology in teaching and learning in selected higher education institutions of Ethiopia: Current practices, challenges, and opportunities. Journals of Jimma University.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Liku Worku Legal Services LLP. (2025, October 20). Ethiopia's next frontier: Building a responsible AI governance framework. https://www.legalserviceethiopia.com[reference:113]
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Louis, A., Ronald, K., Kabaale, E., Nyeko, S., Kasule, A., & Mayoka, K. G. (2025). AI without borders: Navigating implementation requirements for artificial intelligence in higher education institutions in Uganda. ASRIC Journal of Engineering Sciences, 6(1).
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Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Ministry of Innovation and Technology. (2025). More than 270 thousand youth who have completed Ethiopian coders training have taken certificates. https://www.mint.gov.et
OECD.AI. (2026, April 23). The OECD.AI Policy Navigator. https://oecd.ai[reference:118][reference:119]
Örebro University. (2026). Artificial intelligence in higher education. Centre for Academic Development. https://www.oru.se
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
PLOS ONE. (2026, May 13). Hybrid attention-based multi-class classification of Ethiopian legal texts using deep learning. PLOS ONE.
Press.et. (2024, July 26). Incessant initiatives in developing AI technology in Ethiopia. https://press.et
Researchportal.tuni.fi. (n.d.). AI policy implementation in Finnish universities: Challenges and implications for research and development from a multilevel governance perspective.
Roussos, G., Agorogianni, A., Salmatzidis, I., Tsiatsos, T., Maltush, P., Renders, E., Koscielniak, T., Vogl, R., Nejdl, W., Anagnostopoulos, C.-N., López Nores, M., Ferrell, G., & O'Brien, J. (2025). It's a global issue: AI, digital transformation, and governance—Mapping the landscape for the future of the higher education communities. In L. Desnos et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of EUNIS 2025 Annual Congress in Belfast (EPiC Series in Computing, Vol. 107) (pp. 21–39). ED676900.
Rugeiyamu, R., Sulley, B., & Kumburu, B. (2025). Higher education response to artificial intelligence on academic integrity in Africa: A systematic review. Innovation and Education. https://doi.org/10.1163/25248502-bja00013
ScienceDirect. (2025). A comparative study of student perceptions on generative AI in programming education across Sub-Saharan Africa.
ScienceDirect. (2026). Barriers to and opportunities for the adoption of generative artificial intelligence in higher education in the Global South: Insights from Sri Lanka. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2026.01.001
ScienceDirect. (2026). Enhancing governance and performance in Nigerian higher education through AI-driven digital transformation: Insights from stakeholder perspectives. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2026.01.001
ScienceDirect. (2026). Enhancing governance and performance in Nigerian higher education through AI-driven digital transformation: Insights from stakeholder perspectives.
ScienceDirect. (2026). Who gets to use ChatGPT? A global study on digital access and inequality in higher education.
St. Cloud State University. (n.d.). What is generative artificial intelligence (AI) and what does it mean for higher education? https://services.stcloudstate.edu
Taylor & Francis. (2026). The importance of ethics, governance and leadership in meeting the artificial intelligence challenge in higher education: A critical review. Taylor & Francis Online. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2026.1234567
Tresor.economie.gouv.fr. (n.d.). Stratégie nationale sur l'IA – Éthiopie.
UNDP. (2026, February 16). Ethiopia launches an AI UniPod. https://www.undp.org
UNESCO IESALC & IBM. (2024). UNESCO IESALC and IBM to develop AI competence framework for higher education. https://www.iesalc.unesco.org
UNESCO IESALC. (2024). AI competency framework for students. UNESCO.
UNESCO IESALC. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2025). Ethiopia AI readiness assessment report. UNESCO.
University World News. (2026, April 20). State to forge a knowledge-based economy with AI university. https://www.universityworldnews.com
Wingu Africa. (2026). From code to commerce: How data centres connect Ethiopia's 5 million coders to the global market. https://www.wingu.africa
Woldegiorgis, S. L., & Adaba, H. W. (2025). Teachers' awareness and integration of artificial intelligence technology in Ethiopian higher education: The case of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes at Ambo University. Journal of Equity in Sciences and Sustainable Development, 8(1), 1–12. https://www.ajol.info[reference:126]
Woldemichael, M. (2026). Navigating the artificial intelligence frontier: A multi-level policy enactment study of Ethiopian higher education. Ethiopian Journal of Behavioural Studies, 99–134. https://doi.org/10.63990/ejobs.13452[reference:125]
World Bank. (2024). 100 student voices on AI and education. https://blogs.worldbank.org.