Addis Ababa University (AAU) — Ethiopia
Introducing Addis Ababa University (AAU)
Addis Ababa University (AAU) is Ethiopia’s premier institution of higher learning, with a strong mandate in teaching, research, and community service. The university has extensive experience in internationally funded research initiatives, including multiple European Union–supported projects focused on Earth observation, atmospheric science, and climate studies using both ground-based and satellite data. Through these collaborations, AAU is actively strengthening its capacity in space science research to address critical local and global challenges, while supporting Ethiopia’s broader goals of technology adoption, innovation, and sustainable development.
The Department of Physics at AAU plays a central role in advancing Planetary and Space Science and Technology (PSST). The department offers a two-year MSc and a four-year PhD program with specializations in astronomy and astrophysics, space physics, atmospheric physics, quantum optics, polymer physics, and related fields. As a national center for astronomy, the department is also a leading hub for the use of optical telescopes and astronomical observation in Ethiopia, contributing significantly to research, training, and scientific outreach.
Within the PAP2SN consortium, AAU contributes both academically and institutionally. The university supports project monitoring and implementation activities, participates in candidate selection and supervision processes, and contributes to communication, dissemination, and sustainability efforts. Through its active engagement across multiple work packages, AAU strengthens the scientific rigor, governance, and long-term impact of PAP2SN while reinforcing Africa’s role in global space science and planetary research collaborations