Arba Minch University (AMU) and Addis Ababa University (AAU) have initiated a three-year joint research project to preserve the endangered Koegu language and cultural heritage. The initiative, titled "Koegu Language and Culture: Documentation, Description, and Dictionary Compilation," officially commenced on February 3, 2025, with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the two universities. Click here to see more photos
At the launch event, Dr. Tesfaye Habtemariam, Executive Director of AMU’s Research Directorate, emphasized AMU’s dedication to collaborative research. He highlighted the partnership with AAU as a strategic move to expand the project’s scope and pave the way for future joint initiatives. Dr. Tesfaye expressed confidence in the collaboration, citing AAU’s extensive expertise in linguistic and cultural studies as a key factor in achieving impactful outcomes.
Dr. Yohannes Adigeh, Director of the Academy of Ethiopian Languages and Cultures at AAU, underscored the importance of leveraging local expertise and resources in the study of Ethiopia’s indigenous languages, cultures, and histories. He praised AMU for taking the initiative in launching the project and emphasized that AAU’s 53 years of experience in language and cultural studies would be instrumental in ensuring its success.
Dr. Dagnew Mache, the project’s Principal Investigator, emphasized the significance of the research, stating that it aims to create a comprehensive grammatical sketch of the Koegu language, covering phonology, morphology, and syntax. He highlighted that the project will also produce a Koegu-Amharic-English trilingual dictionary with 4,000 lemmas, which will serve as a vital resource for researchers and the Koegu community. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of documenting the Koegu people’s cultural heritage and oral history to ensure the preservation of their traditions and identity.
He further noted that to support the project’s implementation, AMU has allocated 1.75 million birr, while AAU has contributed 1.5 million birr, bringing the total budget to 3.25 million birr. The research will be conducted in the South Omo Zone, where the Koegu community resides, with a dedicated team of 10 researchers from both universities leading the effort.
Mr. Sandi Atabo, Head of the Nyangatom District Culture and Tourism Office, praised the initiative for its role in preserving the Koegu people’s identity and heritage. He assured full support from the local administration to facilitate the research process.
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