Obse Ababiya
Obse Ababiya is Associate Director for the Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives at Emory University. In this role, she leads the newly created Atlanta Global Partnerships aimed to deepen connections and foster collaborations within the Emory and Atlanta communities engaged in international work.
Prior to joining GSI, Obse served as the program manager of Emory’s Institute for Developing Nations, a partnership between Emory University and The Carter Center. She also served as the Southeast Region Development Officer at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and as Director of Community Outreach and development for Alliance Française d’Atlanta where she worked for 10 years.
After launching her career in Ethiopia serving at a local non-profit organization committed to preventing and caring for people living with HIV/AIDS, Obse continued her advocacy engagement while serving at the American Friends Service Committee South East Region as the Africa Peace and Justice Tour Coordinator followed by her role as the Atlanta representative for the Africa's Right to Health Campaign. She is passionate about international education, global leadership, and the role of higher education in addressing complex global problems while being rooted in local engagements.
Obse earned her B.A.in International Studies and French Literature with a minor in African Studies from Emory University. She holds an M.A. in Ethics and Peace from American University’s School of International Service where she focused on nation-state building in Africa and the role of religion in peacebuilding. While at Emory, she interned with the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program. She speaks six languages, fluent in French, English, Amharic, and Oromo while proficient in Arabic and Spanish.