The Horn of Africa region — which embraces the modern countries of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti — is home to a rich array of cultural, literary, and spiritual traditions, with deep historical roots and dynamic contemporary practices. Despite the region’s importance, it remains poorly understood and understudied in the American academy. Few American universities possess experts on the region, and fewer still offer courses devoted to its languages, history, and cultures.
In February, the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures introduced new faculty hire Mehari Worku, who joins the department as assistant teaching professor of Horn of Africa Studies. In this blog post, Prof. Worku discusses the region’s rich cultural heritage, religious and ethnolinguistic diversity, and unique position in the political economy of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
In addition to teaching both language and content courses relevant to the region, Prof. Worku has worked with students to organize a new Amharic Club, where students gather weekly to practice their Amharic and enhance their cultural knowledge of the Horn of Africa. The Club meets every Friday from 3-4:00pm in Denny 159. To learn more and join the Club, students are welcome to contact Prof. Worku (mworku3@uw.edu) or student Kal Tiruneh (kalmulatu756@gmail.com).