Haramaya University (formerly known as Alemaya University) is one of the oldest universities in Ethiopia. It is located in Alemaya, a town in the Misraq Hararghe Zone, about 20 kilometers from the city of Harar and 40 kilometers from Dire Dawa. The university was founded with the help of Oklahoma State University (OSU), accepting its first students in 1954, and the new campus was opened in January 1958 by Emperor Haile Selassie. OSU's participation set a record for American technical assistance programs, with 60 professionals supporting this project at one time, but due to the lack of qualified educators this required a commitment to his endeavor from the University for several years; this degree of commitment was due to the personal support of the former OSU president, Henry G. Bennett. Haramaya University was promoted from a college within Addis Ababa University on May 27, 1985 to an independent university. For many years the university had been limited to only an agricultural curriculum, but in 1996 the university was given permission to open other faculties and departments. 3. http://www.haramaya.edu.et/index.