Plurality, Divergent Narratives & School History with Grima Negash

The JUSTHIS project invites you to an open lecture with Professor Grima Negash from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, about Plurality, Divergent Narratives & School History followed by a Q&A.

The theme of the lecture is: Plurality, Divergent Narratives & School History: Retrospect and Prospects of History Education in Ethiopia.

About the lecture

This lecture seeks to revisit the long journey of history teaching in Ethiopian Secondary Schools; examine its present predicaments and explore its prospects in the future. The problem the study tries to address is a general one: the idea that history teaching in diverse, multi-cultural countries needs a revolutionary breakthrough in the coming ages.

The topic is challenging on a global scale but has particular relevance in (post-colonial) Africa where forging a shared “national” identity has remained increasingly problematic haunting several multi-cultural states.

Dr. Girma Negash is an Associate Professor of History and former Head of the Department of History (2019- Sept. 2023) at Addis Ababa University. He has been an educator all his life with research interests ranging from History Education, Textbook Research, Labor History and Economic History.

He was editor of high school history textbooks published in 2005/2006, and  was  a member of the Core Research Team, leading a national research project entitled "National Study on Administrative Boundary, Identity and Self Administration Issues" under the auspices of Addis Ababa University. Dr. Negash is on the Advisory board of the JUSTHIS project.