[invitation/presentation info & profile of presenter]
Dear Members of Dehai, Members of AEPSA, and friends of Eritrea in the
Washington DC Metropolitan Area, and the East Coast of the United States:
I am writing to invite you to attend a presentation that will be given by
Professor Araya Debessay, entitled, "A Critical Analysis of the Accounting
Curriculum at the University of Asmara." Professor Araya will give his
talk on Saturday, March 29, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Georgetown
University, Washington, DC. For directions, please contact Micael Afeworki
(Office tel# 202-687-3995, e-mail: Afeworm@gunet.georgetown.edu.)
"The Accounting Curriculum has 48% of general education, 26% of general
business education, and 26% of accounting education component," according
to information obtained from Araya. Because of this, his talk is not meant
only to Accounting Professionals. Araya's talk will be of interest to
anyone who is interested to play a role in shaping up University Education
in Eritrea. Professor Araya is eager to get your feedback and input in
refining his paper before his submits it to the University Authorities in
Asmara.
Some of the issues that you will find interesting to know and express your
views on are: (A) the fact that the minimum number of semester credit
hours to graduate with a BA degree from the University of Asmara is 135
credit hours, and the requirement for graduation with a BA degree in
Accounting is 142 semester credit hours. Contrast this with the 124
semester credit hours required to graduate with a BA degree in Accounting
from most US and Canadian Universities. (B) The fact that accounting
majors at the University of Asmara are required to take 37 credit hours in
accounting, while in most US Universities, the required number of
accounting credit hours are about 21 semester credit hours. (C) Accounting
graduates at Asmara University have much broader general education
background, compared to US educated accounting BA degree holders. And
there are many interesting and possibly controversial issues that should
lead to a lively discussion, as Araya explained to me. In light of this,
the AEPSA Officers would like to urge you to attend and actively
participate in Professor Araya's presentation.
Professor Araya's presentation has been organized by the Eritrean
Accounting Association, an organization of Eritrean Accounting
Professionals, under the umbrella of AEPSA. You might have read an
announcement of this program in Dehai posted by John Tesfazghi. As the
parent organization, AEPSA is pleased to be a co-sponsor of Professor
Debessay's presentation, in line with its Curriculum Review Activities.
In conjunction with his presentation, I would like to take the opportunity
to give you a brief overview of Professor Araya Debessay's profile. To
most Dehaiers Araya is not a stranger. Most of you will probably remember
him from the Profiles he posted on Dr. Haile Debas, and Professor Kiflai
Gebremedhin. Some of you may probably remember him from a news item I
posted last June, when Araya was facing an eminent danger to his life,
when he had to go through an open-heart surgery which he successfully
survived with seven by-passes. Remarkably, Araya has been doing fine
since then, and he seems to be as active as he has always been, thanks
God.
Professor Araya Debessay is the founding father and the current President
of the Eritrean Accounting Association (EAA). He has also been recently
elected as the Co-Chair of the Association of Eritrean Professionals and
Scholars in the Americas (AEPSA), together with Professor Kiflai
Gebremedhin.
Dr. Araya Debessay is a Full Professor of Accounting at the University of
Delaware, where he has been working since he graduated with a PhD degree
in Accounting from Syracuse University in 1979. Araya had his first degree
from Haile Selassie I University, a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with
distinction in 1966. After graduating from College, Araya started as a
Management Trainee with Ethiopian Airlines, and worked in the Sales, Human
Resources Development, and the Accounting Departments until the time he
left the Airline for graduate education, in 1969. Araya went to Syracuse
University and obtained an M.S. in Accounting degree (with straight As)
and an MBA degree in Finance, (with a GPA of 3.84/4), both degrees
simultaneously within a period of two years. He went to Syracuse through
the US Agency for International Development (US AID) Scholarship. In 1971,
he returned to Ethiopia and worked as a lecturer in the College of
Business Administration at Haile Selassie I University, until the time he
came to the US to pursue his PhD program through the AFGRAD Fellowship in
1974.
Professor Araya is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and has worked
with one of the Big Public Accounting Firms in the United States as an
Auditor. He is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and a
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Araya also occasionally is involved in
consulting services. Among some of the organizations he has served as a
Consultant are: the DuPont Company, several local CPA firms in Delaware,
the Red Sea Press Inc, and the Africa World Press, in Trenton New Jersey.
Professor Araya has strong passion towards teaching, and has been
recognized for his teaching excellence as evidenced by the many
Outstanding Teaching Awards he has received over the years. In 1989 he was
a recipient of a highly coveted University of Delaware Outstanding
Teaching Award. Previously he has won his College's Outstanding Teaching
Award twice. In 1991 he was the recipient of the 1991 Innovation in
Business Education Award, from the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges
of Business Administration. In 1988, he was the Dean's nominee for a State
Professor of the Year Competition, sponsored by the Council for
Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and received Certificate of
Recognition.
Professor Araya had his first teaching experience at Dekemhare Secondary
School, during the academic year 1964-65, as part of a National Service
graduation requirement from Haile Selassie University. Among many of his
outstanding students that had that year is the current Minister of
Education, Osman Saleh. Araya remembers several of his former students
who are in prominent positions in the Eritrean Government today.
Professor Araya has written extensively in his field. He is the co-author
of two books in accounting, and has over 40 articles in referred journals
and other publications. He has also made several presentations in academic
and professional conferences in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore,
Australia, and Mexico.
Among his relevant publications and presentations dealing within the
Eritrean context are the following:
* An article in a book, "The Role of Accounting, Auditing, and
Reporting Requirements in Promoting an Active and Efficient Securities
Market in Eritrea," pp. 156-165, in EMERGENT ERITREA: Challenges of
Economic Development, edited by Gebre Hiwet Tesfagiorgis, Red Sea Press,
1993.
* "Standardization of Financial Accounting and Reporting: A
Requisite in Business and Industrial Development," presented at the
National Business Conference and Exhibition, Asmara, Eritrea, December
11-14, 1995.
* "The Role of Eritrean Academicians and Professionals Residing
Abroad in the Economic Reconstruction of Eritrea," a talk presented at the
Institute of Research and Development, University of Asmara, Eritrea,
April 1993.
* "The Role of Eritrean Accountants in the Economic Development of
Eritrea," a talk given to Eritrean Accountants, Asmara, Eritrea, May 1993.
* "The Attitude of Eritreans in the Diaspora towards Repatriation,"
a survey conducted in collaboration with Amanuel Melles. A preliminary
result of the survey was presented at the 1996 Dehai Retreat.
* "The Role of Eritreans in the Diaspora within the context of the
Government's Macroeconomic Policy," a talk given to Eritreans in
Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Toronto, Canada, in February and March
1996. His talk was published in Eritrea Profile, Vol. 2, No. 51, March 2,
1996, and was translated and published in HADAS ERITRA, Megabit 6, 1996.
In addition to his teaching and research activities, Araya is involved in
several University, professional, and civic activities. At his University,
Araya serves as the Chairperson of the Commission to Promote Racial and
Cultural Diversity. He is also the Grand Marshal of the University of
Delaware. In his professional activities, he has served as the President
of the American Accounting Association, Mid-Atlantic Region, and has also
served as the Program Director of the Annual Meeting of the American
Accounting Association, Mid-Atlantic Region in 1989.
Araya has always been an active participant in the Eritrean Students
movement since his student days at Syracuse. When he moved to Delaware, he
has served as the Chairman of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association
of Eritrean Students in North America, and was a member of the Board of
the Eritrean Relief Committee, (ERC) Inc., serving as a Treasurer and
later in 1984, as the Chairman of the Board. Araya has also served as a
member of the Executive Board, and as a Secretary of Eritreans for Peace
and Democracy (EPD) from 1989 up to 1991.
Professor Araya is married to Semret Asfaha, a member of the Eritrean
Constitution Drafting Commission. Semret and Araya have two children,
Haben, who is now a freshman in college, and Wintana, a 13-year old
daughter who is in grade 8.
Araya has made five trips to Eritrea since the liberation of Eritrea, all
his trips to Eritrea where in connection with Eritrea related projects. In
1993, Professor Araya spent a semester teaching at the University of
Asmara. Araya says that his semester at the University of Asmara was one
of his most fulfilling and enjoyable experiences he had. He was very much
impressed by the enthusiasm of his students, who also gave him the highest
teaching evaluation he ever received. While teaching at the University, he
also served as a Consultant to the Postal Administration Office in Asmara.
The paper that he is presenting on Saturday, March 29, 1997, entitled, "A
Critical Analysis of the Accounting Curriculum at the University of
Asmara," is expected to provide the University of Asmara authorities with
information that will assist them in evaluating the accounting curriculum.
AEPSA is pleased that Professor Araya is undertaking such a study, and it
is the hope of the AEPSA Board members, that other professionals and
scholars will follow the footsteps of Professor Araya in contributing to
the shaping of Higher Education in Eritrea.
It is our sincere hope that Dehaiers and AEPSA members in the Washington
DC Metropolitan area, and the East Coast will be able to attend and
provide Professor Araya with feedback and input that will help him to
refine his paper.
Respectfully yours,
Amanuel Melles,
Chairperson, AEPSA's Seminars and Conferences Committee.
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