The University of South Africa’s vision demonstrates its pride in its African roots and identity as it responds to Africa’s needs and aspirations nationally, on the continent and on the global scene. This is the milieu that holds the anchor, ethos and vision of the UNISA-Ethiopia Centre which was inaugurated in January 2007, as a practical manifestation of UNISA’s Vision outside the borders of the Republic of South Africa.

Hinged on the South-South paradigm of operation between South Africa and Ethiopia, UNISA began operating in Ethiopia with the sole mandate to assist the Ethiopian government in human capacity development in the sphere of education.　

As part of the College of Graduate Studies, the Centre therefore focuses on (but is not confined to) postgraduate students. It operates in three main domains: Student Administration, the Facilitation of Tuition and Research and the Diplomatic sphere which involves nurturing stakeholder relations and generally upholding the good image of UNISA abroad. We enrol students at all levels (the Undergraduate, Honours, Master’s and Doctoral), the largest being the Masters and Doctoral levels. Students supported in the Centre come from all the colleges of the university (CAES, CEDU, CEMS, CAS, CHS, CGS, CLAW, CSET and Graduate School of Business Leadership). According to the statistics of June 2021, there are 507 doctoral students registered at the centre.

The UNISA-Ethiopia Centre provides a variety of academic and administrative support to the students based in Ethiopia, some of whom are in the diplomatic missions stationed in Addis Ababa. Academic support is provided through postgraduate workshops, seminars and consultations that help students in, inter alia, proposal writing and other parts of their research. The administrative services rendered include: admissions, registrations, library, ICT and finance. The Centre also serves as an examination venue for students who take written examinations.

The "quality scholarship culminating in the success and graduation of students who will make a difference in the service of humanity are the hallmarks that have been clearly foregrounded in the 2030 Mission Statement". To this effect, in Ethiopia alone, UNISA has graduated 862 students till June 2021. PhD graduates account for 43% of the graduates, and 41% completed Master’s degrees. We continue to shape futures. Brochure for Ethiopia Regional Learning Centre^[PDF]