Ph.D., Economic Development, University of Wisconsin-Madison,1979
M.A., Public Policy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1975
B.A., Haile Selassie I University, Addis Ababa, 1971
Bio
Daniel Teferra, Ph. D., Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ferris State University, has lectured at UWW since 2006 in areas of principles of economics and history of economic thought.
While at Ferris (1980-2003), Dr. Teferra has taught a wide range of courses comprising principles of economics, economic development, comparative economic systems, Money & banking, International Economics, problems of economics and history of economic thought. He has served in leadership positions as Chair of the Economics & Statistics Department and member of the Faculty Senate. Dr. Teferra has served as mentor of underrepresented students, advisor to student organizations and University resource-person on African affairs and international studies.
Dr. Teferra has studied and written extensively on Economic Development in Africa, in general, and Ethiopia, in particular, as well as on U. S. Africa policy. He has published numerous scholarly works and a series books on economic development issues. His recent research and publications have focused on the link between entrepreneurship and economic development as well as on institutional issues of transition to a market economy and democracy in poor societies and former socialist countries in Africa.
Before Dr. Teferra came to the United States in 1974 for further studies, he had worked in Ethiopia in government and private organizations as a teacher, management expert, and small business consultant. He continued this type of real-world project work, some of it domestic and some international, through his days as Professor and Chair at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. He was an entrepreneur in the true sense of the word as he opened and operated an upscale restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin for about three years (2003-2006). His business experience has given him a unique opportunity to compare economic theory and business practice, broaden his understanding of real-world business, and share his practical knowledge of entrepreneurship with his students and colleagues at UWW.
In the recent MAPworks survey, students of UWW recognized you as a faculty/staff member who has positively impacted their lives here on campus. Thank you for your time and efforts as a member of UW-Whitewater in shaping a great community. You make a positive difference in their lives everyday.
Making Achievement Possible (MAP)
December 2011
UWW - Residence Life
In the recent MAPworks survey, students of UWW recognized you as a faculty/staff member who has positively impacted their lives here on campus. Thank you for your time and efforts as a member of UW-Whitewater in shaping a great community. You make a positive difference in their lives everyday.
Certificate of Appreciation Awarded to Daniel Teferra
August 2003
Ferris State University - Board of Trustees
The Ferris State University Board of Trustees, together with the administration, faculty, staff and students recognizes and appreciates your years of dedicated service to the University and hereby extends good wishes for many happy and rewarding years
Distinguished Faculty Award Nominee
1997
Michigan Association of Governing Boards
Recongnition for Lecture Series Service
1988
Ferris State University, Gerholz Institute for Lifelong Learning
The Gerholz Institute for Lifelong Learning appreciates your continued and outstanding service to the lecture series program
Martin Luther King/Cesar Chavez/Rosa Parks Committee
August 1988
Office of Minority Affairs, Ferris State University
Presented to Daniel Teferra for devoted service to the Martin Luther King/Cesar Chavez/Rosa Parks Committee
The question of land ownership is the greatest challenge of a transition to democracy in Ethiopia. There can be no transition to a democracy in Ethiopia unless the land problem is resolved, and the society is equalized. A fair and just solution to the p...
Economic Difficulties & Challenges of the "Kilil" System
There is a general feeling that the system of ethnic federalism ("kilil") that was introduced in 1991 in Ethiopia has not produced a better outcome. The purpose of this presentation is to analyze the economic difficulties and challenges of "kilil" and d...
Land Tenancy and Poverty in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is poorer today than it was fifty years ago. For instance, in the early 1960s, the per capita incomes of Ethiopia and a number of Southeast Asian countries were very close. Fifty years later, however, the Southeast Asian countries have become ri...
Democratizing the Ethiopian State
This paper argues that democracy is not a matter of conducting elections. Ethiopia has conducted several fig-leaf elections since 1991, but the country still is not a democracy. Thus, in order to democratize Ethiopia there are three issues that have to b...
Governance and Economic Development
The purpose of the paper is to define the concept of good governance and its implication for economic development. The paper also discusses Post-Cold War restricting efforts and outcomes as well as obstacles to creating good governance in Africa.
Developmental State versus the Market
The developmental state paradigm espouses an anti-market, anti-capitalist ideology arguing in the tradition of Nyerere's "ujamaa, Nkrumah's "consciencistm" and Marxian socialism, all advocating for a statist, command growth model rather than a free market...
Is Ethiopia Experiencing an Economic Miracle?
The Ethiopian government and international agencies have reported very high growth rates for Ethiopia since 2004. This paper takes a closer look at the growth data and Ethiopia's subsistence economy. The paper argues that Ethiopia has been suffering from ...
African Institutions of Peace and Development
The concern of social scientists began to shift to problems of growth and development after the Second World War. Social scientists and international development agencies have since focused on searching for policies and institutions to be adopted for Afri...
Why Ethiopia Is Still Poor
This paper holds the absence of spontaneous rural capitalization responsible for the continuing poverty and recurrent famine in Ethiopia. The paper argues that the spontaneous capitalization process that began during the imperial regime of Haile Selassie ...
Implications of Globalization for Development in Africa
Africa is the least integrated continent to the world economy. Africa's share of the world trade is less than 5 percent. This paper argues that the post-cold war globalization will have a positive impact on African development in general. The author prese...
Globalization and Economic Development in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is not a trading economy. However,it has a long history of external contact. This paper argues that Ethiopia's increasing integration into the global economy since World War II has, in balance, helped the Ethiopian development.
Post-Cold War Market Reform & Globalization in Ethiopia
This paper is about the impact of Post-Cold War market reform and globalization on the Ethiopian economy and higher education. The paper argues that a genuine reform focus is still lacking on the part of the current Regime.
Ethiopia and Eritrea: A Framework for a Shared Market and Broader Democracy
The historical and cultural bonds between the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea are deep and strong. However, they are unable to capitalize on their close ties. This paper argues that despite historical and ethnic connections, there has to be a common ntere...
U.S. Policy and Obstacles to Democratization and Development in Ethiopia
This paper argues that the current U.S. policy toward Ethiopia is designed primarily to establish a reliable ally. One cannot fault this. However, only a genuine transition to a democracy and market economy can save Ethiopia and the rest of the Horn of Af...
Macroeconomic Issues in Managing the Global Economy: Strategies for Economic Development
This paper argues that the current approach and method of global economic management leaves a lot to be desired. The Structural Adjustment Program of the IMF may be necessary but not sufficient. A comprehensive strategy for market reform still needs to be...
State and Economic Development
The main goal of this paper is to examine state objectives and the goal of economic development in Ethiopia. The paper also attempts to provide further insights into development theory and policy.
Restrictive Behavior and Continued Poverty in Ethiopia
This paper argues that Ethiopia's fundamental problem is the selfish and restrictive behavior of the political elites that denies enterprising individuals freedom of work and investment opportunity. Consequently, it is difficult to bring about a new socia...
Famine, Urban Poverty and Unemployment in the Horn of Africa
This paper argues that the main problem in the Horn of Africa is a weak economy that could not provide an adequate source of security to the majority of the populations. The Horn states survived mainly by playing one superpower against the other during th...
Rebuilding Ethiopia Around Democracy
This paper attempts to show how a centralized, personalistic state is deeply rooted in the Ethiopian social formation. It also shows how the personalistic state has monopolized governmental and economic functions; and consequently, failed to modernize the...
Development Challenges of Post-Apartheid South Africa
This paper argues that the post-apartheid government has to correct the inequities created by the apartheid regime, emphasizing a development process based on individual initiative. It has to open the economy to Blacks and prepare them to succeed through ...
Government-Guided vs. Market-Oriented Development in Africa
This paper argues that government-guided development has not produced domestic capabilities for Africa. Available evidence seems to suggest that the market-oriented African countries, altthough few and far between, have done relatively better. Hence, the ...
Ethiopia: Transition to Market Economy and Democracy
This paper argues that the end of the Cold War brought new opportunities matched by new dangers. The peoples of Eastern Europe liberated themselves from decades of relentless Communist repression. But this triumph was twinned by tragedy elsewhere. Ethiopi...
The Real Issues in Development History
This paper argues that two hundred years after the emergence of the modern system, Africa, with the exception of South Africa, is the least developed part of the world today. African countries have to modernize their economies in order to avoid mass starv...
The Economic Future of Africa
This paper will examine the impact of the recent democratization and market-oriented reforms in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on the economic future of Africa. It will also examine the implication of this change for the African development.
Possibilities for a Market Economy and Democracy in Ethiopia
This paper is an observaton on the new policy of the Stalinist Regime of Mengistu Hailemariam. The paper argues that the new policy advocates a third way between the capitalist and socialist models, but this will not bring about a significant improvement ...
Performance of Ethiopia's Socialist Economy
This paper argues that until 1974, Ethiopia had a small, but promising capitalist sector. Fifteen years of socialist model thereafter has plunged the economy into deeper crisis. No substantial reforms have come from the Stalinist Regime to reverse the cri...
Market Reforms in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
This was a presentation made at a lecture series upon my return from a research trip to Moscow State University.
The African Development Debate: Socialism vs. Capitalism
This paper argues that the irrational fear and hatred of capitalism have made socialism a popular slogan of development in Africa. However, there is no evidence that socialism is a development science. Unlike capitalism, socialism does not possess inner l...
