Policy-research partnerships for post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia: The role of local university-based researchers

This article draws on the experiences of university-based researchers involved in the post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia. Based on experiences following the 2020-2022 civil war, we consider the role of local researchers in supporting educational decision-making in line with democratic, human-rights based principles and international commitments (SDG4, CESA 2026). This account is underpinned by conceptual work on the leadership of education provision in crises (the ‘endogenous systems leadership’ framework), and the politics of knowledge production on education in Africa. The empirical focus of this article is the partnership between Mekelle University researchers and the Tigray Region Education Bureau (TREB) around the introduction of an Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) across all schools in the region in 2023. As we show, this initiative demonstrates the key role of university-based researchers in knowledge production and exchange as a condition for the endogenous leadership of education provision during crises.