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The
Country’s Liabilities: Feeble Professional Societies
Wondirad
Seifu, March 14, 2009, The Reporter
By coincidence or deliberately, their name is represented
by a three-letter acronym such as CSE, BSE, and ESE...ZSE. It is strongly
believed that they are the extended families of the Addis Ababa University
(AAU) - the ancient Ivory tower. Almost all have hardly kept their
promises, but one or two have achieved extraordinary performance.
The role of professional societies in economic
development is undeniable. Their origin goes back to the pre-industrial
revolution when the guilds were basking in the sunshine of glory. Although
the guilds were severe impediments to the introduction of mass production,
they capitalise on scientific advancement to cast their new version as
professional societies. Now they have proliferated in several hundred
thousand all over the world.
In Ethiopia, the number of such entities registered
under the name of professional societies has surpassed 100, with copy-cut
by-laws. So far, however, they are merely celebrating their staggering
annual congress, which is usually marked by post-graduate papers that are
complicated by three-dimensional curves, decorated by cocktail parties,
while their member is diminishing by day.
Surprisingly, the societies’ identity seems to be theft
as they are synonyms with the departments of the AAU. True, they are
usually run by puppet and CV crazy executive officers who are
undemocratically elected. Sadly, the societies are not free from political
party’s watchdogs, dedicated to impose the government’s interest on the
“society’s formal and informal” decision-making bodies.
Indeed, amidst such novelties some societies have
claimed publishing a journals, though it hardly addresses the country’s
pressing needs, except for promoting futile academic exercises or the “brain re-drain”. Of course, the
studies reported on two journals should involve both hard and local
currencies out of the meagre financial recourses of the nation. For
instance, one can observe a study in the journal under a title such as “the
next generation cell fuel” or “the sexual behaviour of a Caribbean ant” or
“the bond strength of a half-caste hydrogen atom,” etc., while the country
is deprived of the cheapest fertiliser and penalised with the dearth of
food.
The journal is also said to secure online resume of
African Journal Online (AJOL)-the mysterious website which sucks cool
dollars per click. However, no one knows whether the site has channelled
its booty to finance the peer reviewed journal, which still has an
operating procedure like that of the ancient guilds. Despite such potential
financial sources, the country’s pervious Science and Technology Commission
has channelled a sizable fund from foreign countries to societies. Not bad,
but they are still working in borrowed offices at the AAU and with rented
office equipment. Not to mention the money they derive through sponsorship
while mercilessly compromising their established objectives and missions.
Notably enough, the societies are shy of speaking about
the educational curriculum of their respective trade, oblivious to their
members’ rights as well as ignorant of establishing their trade code of
ethics. Therefore, it is not surprising to find a graduate in chemistry or
biology or physics who never saw a test tube or a laboratory- or a graduate
who regards such a society’s membership is reserved only for those elites:
the ivory tower ones.
Alas, the time, money and energy wasted in dumping a
feeble society such as the Chemical Society of Ethiopia (CSE), which is now
celebrating its 25th birth date. Probably it may continue to
exist as a “liability” for another 25 years.
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