Obse Ababiya
Obse Ababiya is Senior Associate Director of Global External Relations at Emory Global Engagement (EGE), where she leads strategic engagement with diplomatic corps, international organizations, global businesses and philanthropic partners. In this role, she advances initiatives that strengthen Emory’s visibility, influence, and collaboration by bridging academia, diplomacy, and civic engagement.
A multilingual bridge-builder and global citizen, Obse is fluent in French, English, Amharic, and Oromo, with additional proficiency in Arabic and Spanish. She is deeply committed to expanding access to international education, cultivating global leadership, and leveraging higher education to address complex global challenges while remaining grounded in local and regional impact.
Her professional background includes leadership roles with Emory’s Institute for Developing Nations in partnership with The Carter Center, UNICEF USA, and the Alliance Française d ’Atlanta, where she spent a decade advancing global partnerships through arts, culture, and education.She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Council for International Visitors, Alliance Française d ’Atlanta, African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) and on the capital campaign committee of The Globe Academy.
Obse holds a B.A. in International Studies and French Literature, with a minor in African Studies, from Emory University, and an M.A. in Ethics and Peace from American University’s School of International Service.