An academic who became one of Ethiopia’s longest-serving political figures, Beyene Petros, died on September 17 at the age of 75 after an illness. At the time of his death, Beyene was Director-General of the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), a position he had held since being appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2022. He also served as chairman of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP).

He previously served as Vice Minister of Education in the transitional government of Ethiopia (1991-1993) and was Chairman of the Department of Biology at Addis Ababa University from 1986 to 1990, founding President of the Biological Society of Ethiopia, 1989-1991.

When the EPRDF took power in 1991, Beyene represented the Hadiya ethnic community at the national conference, which led to the formation of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia. After serving as vice minister of education, he parted ways with the EPRDF and became active in opposition politics. He was the architect of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples Democratic Coalition (SEPDC), an umbrella organization of fifteen opposition ethnic political parties formed in 1992. Beyene remained an opposition member of parliament until 2010 and was a key figure in founding the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), a major rival to the CUD in the 2005 elections. He later played a significant role in the coalition of political parties that formed Medrek, serving as its chairman.

Born in March 1950 in a village near Shone, Badawatchu, in the eastern Hadiya Zone, Beyene did his primary education in Shone and attended secondary school at Kuyera Adventist boarding school and Atse Gelawdios in Adama. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the former Haile Selassie I University in 1973 and his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, USA, in 1977, Beyene received a Ph.D. in Tropical Diseases and Public Health at Tulane University in 1986.

Beyene once shared that he got interested in biology after hearing a talk by the renowned Ethiopian pathobiologist, Professor Aklilu Lemma, at his high school in Adama. Aklilu Lemma, who founded the Institute of Pathobiology in Addis Ababa, received the Right Livelihood Award for discovering and tirelessly promoting endod powder, an affordable way to prevent bilharzia.

Beyene joined the Addis Ababa University faculty in 1978 and taught there for the rest of his career. Over his long career, he made significant contributions to teaching and research in the health sector. In 2005, he became a professor of biology, with his research focusing on key areas such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, lung disease, and other infectious diseases. His expertise extended to immuno-parasitology, tropical public health, and the impact of tropical diseases in Africa, particularly malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Beyene also investigated the interactions between parasitic infections and HIV/AIDS, validated traditional medicines for treating tropical diseases, and was actively involved in health research ethics.

Those who knew Beyene were as moved by his warmth, commitment, and dedication to both politics and mentorship, as much as by his scientific contributions. “Beyene was passionate about his work, always well-prepared, and well-liked by his students. As one of the first Ethiopian members of the Biology Department, he made significant contributions to the development of biology education. Even with his political commitments, he effectively balanced his time, continuing to teach and mentor doctoral researchers. He was truly a patriot,” said Masresha Fetene, a Professor of Plant Ecophysiology at Addis Ababa University, who was once his student and later worked alongside him in the Biology Department.

“He has always made me proud. My generation, my friend, my brother. Impeccable hybrid contributions – science and politics – to impact and empower livelihoods. Has left a great legacy,” wrote Lemma W. Senbet, the Dean’s Chaired Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“Prof. Beyene was an accomplished biology professor and an admirable and tireless politician working for a better Ethiopia. Often subverted and blocked by the EPRDF regime,” Jan Abbink, Professor Emeritus of Politics and Governance in Africa at Leiden University wrote on X.