Ethiopian studies: Difference between revisions

'''Ethiopian Studies''' or '''Eritrean Studies''' refers to a multi-disciplinary academic cluster dedicated to research on [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]] within the cultural and historical context of the [[Horn of Africa]].

{{further information|Ethiopian historiography|Outline of Ethiopia|Outline of Eritrea}}

The classical concept of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, developed by European scholars, is based on disciplines like [[philology]] and [[linguistics]], [[history]] and [[ethnography]]. It includes the study of Ethiopian and Eritrean [[arts]] and the history and [[theology]] of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Church]]. The classical core of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies is the philology of the written sources of [[Christianity|Christian]] Ethiopia and Eritrea and [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethio-semitic linguistics]]. While this approach is still alive and has its role, Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies has opened to a wider concept that tries to avoid a bias in favour of the Christian Abyssinian culture ([[Amhara people|Amhara]], [[Tigray-Tigrinya people|Tigrinya]]; ''cf''. [[Habesha people]]). It includes the study of the other [[Afro-Asiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]] languages and cultures of Ethiopia and Eritrea besides those of Ethio-semitic derivation; the nation's non-Afro-Asiatic languages and cultures, including the [[Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region|southern Ethiopian]] cultures; non-Christian faiths, comprising [[Islam in Ethiopia|]] and [[Islam in Eritrea|Eritrea]] and traditional religions; social and political sciences; as well as contemporary issues like environment and development studies.

==Institute of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies==

The study of Ethiopian and Eritrean topics had been long been concentrated in European academic institutions. This is seen in such examples as [[Enno Littmann]] directing the German Aksum-Expedition in Ethiopia in 1905.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz70538.html|title=Littmann, Enno - Deutsche Biographie|last=Biographie|first=Deutsche|website=www.deutsche-biographie.de|language=de|access-date=2018-04-10}}</ref> When [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War|Italy invaded Ethiopia]], some Italian scholars such as [[Enrico Cerulli]] were active in Ethiopia. As a result, many [[Ethiopian manuscript collections]] and other materials from Ethiopia are found in European museums and libraries.

Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies scholars congregate at the interdisciplinary International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, a series of gatherings that takes place every three years. Traditionally, every third conference is held in Ethiopia. The 19th meeting was in Warsaw, August 24–28, 2015. The 20th conference will be in [[Mek'ele|Mekelle]], Ethiopia in 2018. Volumes of proceedings are published after most conferences.

Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies is served by a few journals and publications specifically devoted to the field. These include: