A Student`s Gui A Student`s Guide to Addis Ababa

Transcription

A Student’s Guide to Addis Ababa
Tips and Tricks for Studying and Living
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Master’s Course in Global Studies (with a special emphasis on Peace and Security in Africa)
Preface
Dear Global Studies student,
We congratulate you on the admission to the study programme in Global Studies with a special
emphasis on Peace and Security in Africa or to the stay of a term in Addis Ababa University.
Addis Ababa University provides all preconditions to make your studies and student life a
valuable academic experience. Our partner, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at
AAU offers particular expertise in the field of conflict management as well as peace and security
research. Thus you will be able to gain broad knowledge during your stay on peace and security
studies and on how aspects of conflict, peace and security interact with globalization processes,
examined from an African perspective.
In order to facilitate your preparations as well as the stay in Addis Ababa we have prepared this
guide which provides information tailored to the needs of those who are new to the city and the
university. This small guide is the result of the experiences of former students and displays
recommendations on the time before, during and after a stay in Ethiopia. We hope that it will
contribute to a memorable stay in Addis Ababa for you and that you always look back with great
pleasure. If you have any questions we didn’t cover, please feel free to contact the relevant
people whose contact details are provided on the last page of this guide should you have any
inquiry .
With all best wishes for an enjoyable stay!
Claudia Baumann and Solomon Hassen
Programme Coordinators
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Factsheet about AAU
Addis Ababa University is the centre for higher education in Ethiopia. Out of the 21 public
universities that exist in Ethiopia today, the AAU - as the first university in the country - assumes
the role of an old-established traditional quality institute. What today is the Addis Ababa
University was founded in 1950 as the University College of Addis Ababa, with an enrolment
capacity of 1,000 students and 50 faculty members. Since then more than 200,000 students have
graduated in different disciplines and levels from AAU. Today, more than 40,000 students are
enrolled at AAU.
The Institute for Peace and Security Studies was founded in 2007 by the Addis Ababa University
to impart knowledge and conduct research in the field of peace and security with a regional
focus on the Horn of Africa. It is one of the five Centres of Excellence at the University and
qualifies students in conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as peace building
and promotes values of democratic and peaceful society. IPSS has been recognised several times
by internal quality assessments as role model for other departments. Its reputation is excellent
within Addis Ababa and beyond, not least due to its cooperation with the African Union.
The partnership between the Institute for Peace and Security Studies and the European Master’s
programme in Global Studies aims to add complementary focuses of the globalization research
to the study programme by including aspects of peace and security research and to further
internationalize the study programme through an African perspective on globalization
processes.
(Sources: Claudia Baumann. The Higher Education market in Ethiopia 2011. Global and European Studies Institute, University of
Leipzig, 2011; Semela T. Proceedings of the Conference on the Future Direction of Higher Education in Ethiopia: Higher Education
Expansion and the Gender Question in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Women in a Public University, 2005; AAU website at
http://www.aau.edu.et/index.php/component/k2/item/1971-students-enrollment (date: 11.04.2012).)
Fascist memorial staircase at the main campus of the Addis Ababa University
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Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Short facts about AAU ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Recommendations for the preparation of your stay ........................................................................... 5
Visa and insurance ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
Flights................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Finding accommodation ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Contact to the host university .................................................................................................................................. 8
Course selection............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Duration of the Semester ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Recommendations for the first days in Addis Ababa ....................................................................... 11
Registration at AAU ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Cell phone and internet ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Recommendations for your stay in Addis Ababa .............................................................................. 12
Study environment at IPSS and infrastructure .............................................................................................. 12
Social life in and around Addis Ababa ............................................................................................................... 12
How much money do you need? .......................................................................................................................... 13
Safety ............................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Others.............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Miscellaneous ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Funding opportunities ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Contacts .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17
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Recommendations for the preparation of your stay
Visa
In order to fully inform yourself about visa regulations, which vary from country to country,
please visit the website of your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the website of the Ethiopian
diplomatic mission in your country of nationality (in Germany: http://www.aethiopienbotschaft.de/). Depending on which embassy you are applying at, the requirements and also the
time for getting the visa issued might vary. All foreign nationals, except those of Kenya and
Djibouti, need a valid visa to enter Ethiopia. In Germany, the student visa can be obtained from
the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin (Boothstraße 20a, 12207 Berlin, Tel: 030-77 20 60, E-Mail:
[email protected]) or the Ethiopian Consulate General in Frankfurt (EschersheimerLandstraße 105 - 107, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Tel. 069-9726960, Fax: 069-97269633, E-Mail:
[email protected], [email protected]).
The Ethiopian embassy recommends to hand in all necessary documents for a visa for study
purposes (= business visa) a month before the date of departure to Ethiopia (as the visa is valid
from the date of issue, it is recommended not to apply for the visa much earlier than a month
before departure, at the same time the processing of a student visa may take up to one month –
hence, if you apply one month before departure you should be fine). However, former students
have also made the experience that if you go to the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin personally, you
get the visa within an hour. Hence, please contact the embassy for information on the application
process before you apply. For German and EU citizens the visa is about € 17,00. Please note that
if you do an internship in Ethiopia it is likely that you need a business visa (not a tourist visa).
The Ethiopian embassy can advise you on the appropriate visa.
It is also possible to get visa via post which takes about a week. In this case the Embassy
requires that you send your valid passport per post. If you choose this option, we suggest to send
your passport via registered mail.
In the past, also non-German students studying in Leipzig were able to receive their visas for
Ethiopia from the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin after request. Please contact the embassy and ask
if it is possible to get the visa from them instead of returning to your home country and apply
with the Ethiopian diplomatic mission there.
The documents required for the visa application include the following:
1. a valid passport (valid for at least another 6 months)
2. two passport photographs (colour photos)
3. a complete, filled in and signed visa application form
4. a copy of the flight reservation or air ticket (including return flight)
5. if you apply by post: proof of payment of the visa fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope
(registered mail); if you apply for your student visa in person the embassy prefers payment of
the visa fees in cash
6. proof of enrolment in the study programme
7. proof of sufficient funding for fees and living expenses.
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With regard to the point ‘proof of sufficient funding’, the Embassy has in the past accepted a
copy of the individual ‘Welcome to Africa’ scholarship agreements of students receiving this
sponsorship to cover this requirement.
Former students recommend to take the cheapest visa option (single entry) and then applying in
Addis Ababa at the immigration office for a residence permit which costs only 200 ETB (about 8
EUR) and enables one to get local prices e.g. at museums. This is also much cheaper than the
regular visa extension (about 20-30 USD) und the documents needed are the same as for the
regular visa extension (a letter of admission from the university and a prove of financial
independence).
Insurance
You are responsible for taking care of your medical (and any other) insurance yourself.
We recommend you to arrange it before departure and for it to include coverage of common
clinic visits and examinations including blood tests, medication, and of the however improbable
case of return for medical reasons. Ask your insurance company if they pay the necessary
vaccinations since they are expensive. Some German insurances only cover vaccinations for
purposes of holiday but not for business stays. In such cases, former students advise to make
sure that the purpose of travel is studying as well as holidays.
The
tropical
institute
recommends
many
vaccinations
(http://tropeninstitut.de/reiseziel/laenderinfo.php?lid=10), but you have, of course, to decide
yourself which ones you will take. For further information and vaccination the following
institutions can be consulted in Leipzig:
Universitätsklinikum Leipzig
Fachbereich Infektions- und Tropenmedizin
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schubert
Liebigstr. 20, 04103 Leipzig
Tel.: 0341 / 9724971
e-mail: [email protected]
Klinikum St. Georg gGmbH
Klinik für Infektiologie, Tropenmedizin und
Nephrologie
Zentrum für Reisemedizin
Delitzscher Straße 141, 04129 Leipzig
Tel.: 0341 9092619
E-Mail: [email protected]
For an up-to-date list of doctors and clinics in Addis Ababa please contact the German Embassy
in Ethiopia (lists are updated once a year around June).
Flights and public transport to your final accommodation from Bole Airport
Book your flight early enough! Flights might get expensive if you wait too long, especially with
the time of September/October being the time for many expats to return to Addis after the rainy
season. A good agency for students is STA travel (www.statravel.com), which can be found in
many countries around the world, they often have special offers for students. In Germany, direct
flights to Ethiopia depart from Frankfurt am Main and Munich but if you book the rail&fly
option, getting there is not too expensive from anywhere in Germany. For convenience, we
recommend the route via Frankfurt am Main to Addis Ababa operated by Lufthansa and
Ethiopian Airlines. Those two and both the Turkish and Egypt Airline usually allow for two
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pieces of luggage of up to 23 kgs each depending on the tariff. With Turkish Airlines you have the
option to spend some days in Istanbul without extra Charge (via the multi-destination option).
To get from the airport to your final destination in Addis Ababa, we recommend you to take a
taxi. When you are new in town, it appears that there are no fixed prices for a taxi ride –
especially not for foreigners. And in fact, fares are not metered and should hence be negotiated
before travelling. However, there is a taxi service stand in the airport arrival hall which can
assist you both with a reasonable price and to find a taxi. They also accompany you to your taxi.
A standard fare from the airport to the city (say, Bole or Kazanchis areas) should not exceed 100
Birr (to Piazza is should not exceed 150 Birr) whilst friendly haggling is necessary. If you arrive
with a very late flight prices might be a bit higher.
Although prices for public transport are
very cheap, taking public transport
(shared minibuses) from the airport is
likely to take a very long time and to be
very challenging with a lot of luggage. In
addition, if you want to use public
transport in Addis Ababa, you need to
know the area where you want to get off
the minibus — not advisable for those
new in town.
Please inform the Global Studies
coordinator at IPSS about the time of
your arrival in due advance time. He may Private taxis in Addis Ababa (easily recognizable by their blue colour
advise or assist you with regard to and white top); there are also yellow taxis – usually better maintained
transport from the airport to your but also more expensive than the blue ones.
accommodation in Addis Ababa. You may
also ask Ethiopian students (studying at the GESI each summer term) to advise or even help you
with your transport on arrival in Addis Ababa.
Finding accommodation
Former students who have been to Addis Ababa agreed that finding accommodation in town is
not difficult once you are there. Martin’s Cozy Place (see Lonely Planet) was suggested as a
possible short-term accommodation. This Ethiopian-German guesthouse provides simple but
nice and cheap rooms and the attached restaurant has good and cheap food (www.bdsethiopia.net/cozy-place/index.html). It has a nice yard and some guests seem to stay there for
longer periods of time. It is, however, a bit far from the university campus. Closer to the campus
is the Green Valley Hotel where rooms are also affordable. Moreover, there are many apartment
houses in Addis Ababa which can be found on the internet (usually, however, they have to be
booked long in advance). The website www.airbnb.com was also recommended as a platform to
look for accommodation in Addis Ababa.
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The university campus is not exactly in the city centre. The part of Addis Ababa called Kazanchis
is a recommended location for a place to stay. Former students also recommend Bole, Hajahulet
or Megenagna which are close to the city centre and reasonably close to the IPSS. Sidist Kilo
(where the IPSS is located) tends to be quite accessible from most parts of town (esp. Piazza,
Aware, Magananga). Good ways to find a room recommended by former students are facebook
groups (such as What's happening in Addis), couchsurfing groups on Addis, word-of-mouth
among expats and/or using a broker (but this can be expensive and sometimes complicated).
Former students also recommend the website: http://realethio.com/ and, if requested, can also
provide contact information to helpful brokers (e.g. Lucia Vlkovičová (Global Studies):
[email protected] (student in Addis Ababa in 2013).
Renting prices for foreigners range from ETB 2,000 to 7,000 (€90-€300, depending on the
location and luxury of the accommodation) per room in a shared house. If you want to support
the local job market: Cleaning personnel for foreigners is around €75 a month.
Contact to the host university
Your contact person at the AAU is the Addis Ababa-based academic programme coordinator for
the Global Studies (with a special emphasis on peace and security in Africa) MA programme at
the IPSS, Solomon Hassen Tegegne (for the contact details, please see the last page of this guide).
He can assist you with prior information on the courses open for you to attend. He may also help
you with some practical questions related to your stay. However, please bear in mind that he
will only have a limited amount of hours to help you and that there might also be other people
who can assist you, for instance, with questions related to your study preparation such as the
Ethiopian students of our joint MA programme or former Leipzig exchange students listed on
the last page. It is likely that many of the things need to get organized on site.
Course selection
As part of the “Welcome to Africa” exchange programme, students from Leipzig University are expected to
undertake the following activities during their stay at the IPSS (amounting to 30 ECTS in total):
1.
Attend two courses offered in the 3rd semester of the joint MA “Global Studies (with a special
emphasis on peace and security in Africa)” (these may include the following courses: “Gender
and Peace”, “Human Rights and Peace”, “Theories of Peace and Security”, “Peace and development
in the Horn of Africa”, “Comparative experience of African Conflict Management” – for updated
information please contact the Addis Ababa-based coordinator). For both courses, students have
to write a 10-15 pages essay (2x10 ECTS);
2.
Participate in at least two working visits to the various institutions (GIZ AU, UNECA, etc). Students
will have to write a report on these meetings in form of an essay which will be graded in Leipzig
(10 ECTS); the requirements on the report (if not told otherwise) are as follows:
The Report should have a length of about 4.000 words and present the where, when, what, how
and why of the working visits including:
Details on the working visits (general description)
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•
where and when did the working visits/meetings take place (short presentation of the
institution, department, section)
•
what was the context, content and purpose of the working visits/meetings
Personal reflection on the working visits
•
personal knowledge/insights gained through the working visits
•
relevance of the working visits for your field of study (Global Studies/African Studies)
and, possibly, for your further studies/MA thesis topic (if applicable)
•
for Global Studies students, the essay should summarise one possible dimension of
practical use of Global Studies-knowledge in the institutional context of the respective
institutions visited
Deadline of submission: 28.02. (sent to the Leipzig-based coordinator of the MA “Global
Studies (with a special emphasis on peace and security in Africa)”
3. Participate in various public lectures organized by different institutions in Addis Ababa
4. Sit in some of the MPSA sessions
Point 1.-4. may be subject to change depending on the current offers of the IPSS. In case of
changes, detailed information will be given before the start of the semester.
It is likely that students will be given additional assignments depending on the choice of the
convener and these often include presentations. You may also engage in group work and lead
discussions. A lot of attention is paid on participation in class discussions. Online discussions on
moodle may also be part of the grade for course participation in some classes.
In sum, what exchange students can expect is that in the context of the “Welcome to Africa”
exchange programme, the IPSS commits to provide the following to the exchange students:
•
Attendance in selected lectures and seminars offered at the IPSS;
•
Facilitate attendance in public lectures and seminars in Addis Ababa (through
information provision, and possibly assistance with registration in workshops);
•
Facilitate working visits and briefings at major institutions in Addis Ababa;
For Global Studies students: Please bear in mind that the final course choice has to be approved
by Leipzig coordinators: [email protected].
The transcript will be sent directly to Leipzig after your stay.
For African Studies students: Please note that your course participation (= three courses
constituting 30 credit points) will not be graded but is only subject to pass or fail. For the
recognition of your credits in Leipzig please ask the IPSS for a signed transcript of records
showing the courses you attended.
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Duration of the Semester
The semester officially runs from October 1st to January 31st. However, since courses at the IPSS
often are done as block teaching, students are strongly advised to contact the IPSS-based
coordinator for exact dates. It may be possible that the semester already finishes by midDecember.
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Recommendations for the first days in Addis Ababa
Registration at AAU
There will be no formal registration at the Addis Ababa University. You are linked directly to the
Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) which will provide you with one of their student
cards. You will also receive a letter of acceptance from the IPSS which confirms that you will be
an exchange student with the IPSS for the winter term. You will need this letter to be able to
apply for a student visa with the Ethiopian embassy. Your contact person at the IPSS is Solomon
Hassen Tegegne.
Cell phone and internet
There is only one government-run mobile phone operator in Ethiopia, which is Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC). If you want to buy a local pay-as-you-go SIM card for
ETC (available e.g. in ETC offices, many hotels and shops around town), you will need two
passport photos and a copy of your passport. Top-up cards are available everywhere around
town. Mobile phone connectivity can be a problem at times in
Addis Ababa. There are Ethiotel 2G SIM cards available for using
mobile internet. However, former students noted that these are
not good enough for using internet. It might be nonetheless
advisable to either bring or buy a low-key phone in Addis if you
are using a lot of public transport etc.
In the IPSS there is a computer lab which is open from about 9am
to 6pm and can be used by all students. Wi-Fi is available in the
main building and in the seminar rooms. Limited number of
copying (maximum 40 pages) is also possible in the institute.
If you want mobile internet you can buy an internet USB stick
(1700 ETB) e.g. from EVDO (available e.g. at the Computer Lab, IPSS
Telecommunication Center in the Edna Mall, Tele-Bole); some
European sticks work in Ethiopia too. For registering and setting up your internet stick, you
again need a passport photo and a copy of your passport. The set-up fee is about 230 ETB and
you can choose between three different GB levels / monthly charges which you can then top up
similar to mobile phone credit.
You can also use Skype and the internent conectivity at IPSS is by far faster than outisde.Also the
bandwidth can vary and might limit desired downloads and connectivity at times. Some Internet
cafes do offer Skype and those that do usually have a good enough connection that it functions
relatively hassle-free (breaks off occassionally but still quite efficient). Internet cafes are
widespread and cheap. For internet access, former students also recommend any bigger hotel as
they all have quite good connection in the lobbys and are open also to non-guests (e.g. Harmony
Hotel or Debre Damo Hotel).
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Recommendations for your stay in Addis Ababa
Study environment at IPSS and infrastructure
The infrastructure at the IPSS is very modern and consists of the main building and three
seminar houses. In the main building and the recently opened new building there are offices for
staff, programme coordinators and the director. This ensures a constant close interaction
between all parties of the programme and gives students the opportunity to ask for help at any
given point of time. IPSS staff is very helpful and open.
The IPSS is located on the campus of the
Business and Finance Faculty of the Addis
Ababa University right next to the Goethe
Institute. This campus is close to the main
campus of AAU (some 500m away) on King
George Street where all the different
campuses are located. There are two
supermarkets on King George Street,
numerous small restaurants as well as many
copy and stationary shops where the
students’ everyday necessesities can be
acquired.
Park, Business and Finance Campus
Social life in and around Addis Ababa
In and around Addis Ababa there are a number of touristic sites worth seeing. This includes the
city’s museums and historical places where you can learn a lot about Ethiopia’s history and
culture. The Shola Market is also said to be a very nice market and less crowded than the famous
Merkato. It is advisable to get a tourist guide (e.g. Lonely Planet) before you come to Addis.
These usually have further helpful and interesting information.
Next to the IPSS is the Goethe Institute which was
renovated some years ago and has a restaurant and a
café, a computer lab, daily newspapers and a small
library accessible to the public. The Goethe Institute’s
Café Einstein offers food and good coffee. Great coffee
can also be bought and enjoyed e.g. at Café Tomoca at
Wavel street. However, as the birthplace of coffee it is
hard to come by bad coffee in Ethiopia anyway. As
Addis Ababa is located in a valley surrounded by
mountains you should try to get up the Entoto
Café Einstein, Goethe Institute
Mountains and enjoy the great view of Addis Ababa from
above. Further tripping around Ethiopia is also easy and
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not expensive.
The Goethe Institute as well as the Alliance Française and the Italian Cultural Institute often have
cultural events in the evenings (films, concerts, talks etc.) which are for free (often with
food/drinks reception!). This is also a good way to meet people.
There are several gyms all over town with monthly fees of ETB 500 to 1,000. And there are also
some sports facilities where one can play football, tennis, or volleyball outside. Please note that
running outdoors is not very advisable because of the smog except for early in the morning
(some say also because of safety issues).
How much money do you need?
Living costs in Addis Ababa are comparably low. You will
need approximately 250-300 Euros per month in
addition to rent for a budget lifestyle (especially if you
eat in ordinary local restaurants and buy your bread,
fruits and vegetables at the local markets or from the
street traders). Including accommodation, you should
plan around 350-450 Euros as house rental can be
comparably high.
While you can find local restaurants with an average
meal price of around 1-2 Euro, the more expatfrequented restaurants will offer dinner for 3-4 Euros.
You might want to apply some caution in the beginning withOne
regards
to local
food and
uncooked
of the German
bakeries
in Addis
Ababa
vegetables and fruit to avoid stomach irritation.
You should add another 100 Euros if you plan to eat out regularly and make trips around Addis
Ababa or/and if you can’t live without German pastries and bread (available in several German
bakeries in Addis Ababa, e.g. on Telebole, at the Hilton Hotel or opposite the Intercontinental
Hotel) or products like cheese (available in the more expensive supermarkets).
Travels are not included in this calculation so depending on your activities it is possible that you
will need more than this. Public transport in Addis Ababa is
very cheap. However, travelling though town with the mini
busses takes time and they are not available at night. So you
should plan extra budget for using taxis. Inform yourself
about the current prices for a taxi ride (the prices usually
differ during day and at night) and negotiate the price before
the ride (foreigners are usually charged much more than
locals, so if you feel the price is too high just ask the next taxi
driver – there are taxis everywhere in town). If you want to
drive yourself, you need to get a driver’s licence which
requires an Embassy-verified copy of your national driver’s
Injera, a traditional Ethiopian dish
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licence; so please bring it along. You should, however, be aware that driving in Addis Ababa is
nothing for beginners!
Safety
Generally, Addis Ababa is a relatively safe place to study and live. However, even though the city
may be safer than other places, it is still advisable to perform a high level of precaution — leave
all important documents at home, never get into an empty minibus, don’t walk empty streets at
night and apply a reasonable level of mistrust to strangers. Quite a number of ferenjis (especially
those new to the city) were not only robbed recently but by now also harmed. Pickpockets are
common in the city centre and on the Merkato and special attention should be paid in this regard
to the kids selling commodities such as tissues and chewing gums. Don’t flash wealth like cell
phones, money, laptops etc. in public places. Laptops and cell phones get stolen quite a lot. Apart
from pickpockets, former students reported the presence of many hustlers in Piazza (and
increasingly in Bole) who try to befriend new arrivals in the city rather than steal. The tend to
have very good English and usual scam by taking you around paying for everything, appearing
very generous and then taking you to ‘cultural shows’ where you have to pay the (exorbitant)
bill.
The German embassy regulary issues updated security warnings for Addis Ababa concerning
every-day life on the outdoors. Generally, to be informed on these issues, Germans in Addis
should register online with the Embassy’s info and crisis management system:
https://service.diplo.de/elefandextern/. We advise German students to register with ELEFAND
which is possible for short term as well as for long term stays. You will find more information on
www.addis-abeba.diplo.de.
Please be aware that there have been terrorist threats in Addis Ababa in the past during which
embassies and the Ethiopian government issued official warnings. In such cases please respect
the most common precautions, such as avoiding big crowds of people and special events
(e.g.religious festivals, football matches, etc) and avoiding places where expats frequently
gather, especially if there is no real security control.
Others
What to bring: Please bear in mind that most European convenience goods will not be available
in Ethiopia, hence should be brought. This includes articles for your personal hygiene,
medication, sunscreen, also your favourite food items (chocolate, sweets, cheese, pesto etc. are
among the most popular imports) and any books you might need for your study. Ethiopia uses
220-volt electricity and four different outlets; as you probably need an adapter for your
computer etc., the most practical would be a multi-outlet adapter. Recommended travel guides
for Ethiopia include both the recently updated Lonely Planet and the Brandt guide. Due to
frequent power shortages, a torch or headlamp can be handy. If you plan to travel outside of
Addis, put a pair of sturdy shoes in your luggage. Good sporty shoes are also highly
recommended for Addis as most streets off the main ones are in a difficult state and require
good shoes. Concerning clothes, showing much skin in public attracts sometimes unwanted
attention so — especially if you are female — consider covering shoulders and upper thighs.
Climate: Addis Ababa is located at an altitude of 2300 meters which means that even if the sun
can heat up the atmosphere during daytime to up to 30 degrees, it can get chilly at night.
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Especially in the early morning (e.g. on the way to Uni) and also in the evenings, when it gets
dark quite fast (between 6-7p.m.), temperature can drop below 10°C. Consider bringing some
warm clothes including a rainproof jacket and very warm pyjamas. On the upside, malaria is not
a problem and even mosquitoes are rare at this altitude (if you plan to travel to the South
though, take precautions against both).
Ethiopian time: Ethiopian time is very special. First, in Ethiopia time runs according to the
Ethiopian Calendar, which is 7 years and a bit more than 8 months behind the European
calendar. This means also that in Ethiopia the year starts in mid-September, not January (thus,
for example, in Ethiopia the year 2004 began on 12th September 2011 and will end on
10thSeptember 2012). However, sometimes also the Gregorian calendar (used in Europe) is used
in Ethiopia. Second, the counting of hours starts with sunrise: 7 am European time is 1 am in
Ethiopia and 12 o’clock noon European time is 6 am in Ethiopia. However, the 24-hour clock is
also used occasionally. So before you make an appointment with someone make sure you clarify
according to which time (Ethiopian or European) the meeting will take place.
Money: ATMs are widespread in Addis Ababa and withdrawing money is possible e.g. one the
main campus of the university or in the bigger hotels using VISA and sometimes Mastercard.
Former students recommend to use only ATMs in big hotels and to be careful with withdrawing
money in very public places (e.g. in the Edna due to cases of hacked ATMs) always. You can also
withdraw money in banks with your credit card, however, the fee can be high and students
reported long queuing. It is recommended to take Euros or US-Dollars with you to Ethiopia if
your bank charges a high international withdrawal fee. These can be changed to Ethiopian Birr
(ETB) in Addis Ababa at banks and hotels. You are allowed to enter Ethiopia with up to USD
3,000 per person (or the equivalent in Euros) without declaration; everything above requires
declaration on arrival at the airport in Addis Ababa. If you feel uncomfortable to come with a lot
of cash, it is highly recommended to consider an account with Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB). The
so called DKB-Cash is a free online account which allows you to withdraw money from ATMs
with a free Visa Card without paying a fee (however, you pay a fee if you pay with the DKB Visa
Card directly, e.g. accommodation in a hotel). Please be aware that you are not allowed to enter
and leave Ethiopia with more than 200 ETB per person!
Taking photos: It is absolutely prohibited to take pictures of military or security related
institutions (this also includes airports, train stations, bridges, government buildings etc.) as
well as military/police staff in Ethiopia. So please keep that in mind when taking pictures in the
country! Also please consider asking people before taking their picture.
Homosexuality: Homosexual acts are against the law in Ethiopia. An offence can be punished
with imprisonment of between six months and 25 years.
Public Transport: Blue Mini buses cover the public transportation system in the city. A ride is
around 15 cents and they have stops along the route. It is not uncommon to get fleas on the mini
bus, so it is recommendable to bring flea spray from Europe. Taxis are more expensive, but no
less exciting. Taxi rides usually end up between 60 and 100 Birr for distances up to 15 min.
There are monopolies at highly frequented public places and several drivers will often give you
the same high price. It is usually worth it flagging down a driving taxi, because they can give you
a better price. Always be friendly to the drivers and see the haggling as a necessary game. They
have a lot of pride and will not give you a good price if you are unfriendly.
Page | 15
Food: Common foods are burgers pasta and injera. At low key restaurants you pay between 1-3
Euros for a meal. The classics are Tegabino Shiro (vegetarian), Tibs (meat) and Fasting foods like
Bayanatu (vegan). Be careful with food, general rule: cook it, peal it or leave it. You can get a
purple solution at any food store to wash and disinfect your vegetables in.
Health: Becoming sick in Ethiopia is very easy as hygiene and sanitation is a big issue. For
smaller illnesses, you can go to the sunshine clinic, which is close to Arat Kilo. They have some
testing facilities there. For bigger issues, an option is the Korean Hospital. If you are sick, make
sure that you are not alone, and have someone come with you to the hospital. You have to pay
treatments in cash, so make sure to have money for emergency cases. Ethiopia has strict
regulations about medication. You can get standard antibiotics and paracetamol, make sure to
bring everything else you need. If you want to travel to the lowlands, you should bring your
Malaria prophylaxis, as it might be difficult to find in Addis.
Miscellaneous
Funding opportunities
For German students we recommend to apply for Auslandsbafög:
http://www.bafoeg.bmbf.de/index.php
and to check the following websites:
http://www.daad.de/ausland/foerderungsmoeglichkeiten/stipendiendatenbank/00658.de.html
German students studying in their first or second year at the University of Leipzig can also apply
for a Promos scholarship:
http://www.zv.uni-leipzig.de/studium/studium-international/auslandssemesterweltweit/promos.html
Page | 16
Contacts
Leipzig University
Stephan Kaschner: [email protected]
(or Konstanze Loeke: [email protected])
(Academic Programme Coordinators of the Erasmus Mundus “Global Studies” Programme)
Claudia Baumann: [email protected]
(Academic Programme Coordinator of the MA “Global Studies with a special emphasis on peace
and security in Africa” at the GESI)
Claudia Böhme, M.A.: [email protected]
(Academic Coordinator of ‘Welcome to Africa’ Programme)
Addis Ababa University
Solomon Hassen Tegegne: [email protected]
(Programme Coordinator of the MA programme “Global Studies with a special emphasis on
peace and security in Africa” at the IPSS)
Former students who studied one semester in Addis Ababa and can be contacted
Lucia Vlkovičová (Global Studies): [email protected] (2013)
Katharina Döring (Global Studies): [email protected] (2013)
Eanna O’Donnell (African Studies): [email protected] (2012)
Sophie Tentrop (Global Studies): [email protected] (2012)
We wish you a pleasant stay in Addis Ababa!
© Photos by Claudia Baumann and Lisa Schlegel
Page | 17

A Student`s Gui A Student`s Guide to Addis Ababa

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