Bahru Zewde is Emeritus Professor of History at Addis Ababa University. He served as Director of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University and Executive Director of the Forum for Social Studies. He is currently Vice-President of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, Board Member of TrustAfrica, and Editor of CODESRIA's Africa Review of Books. His earlier books include: A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855-1991 (2001) and Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia (2002).