Recognizing the need for strong, principled, and visionary African leadership, the former Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hon. Meles Zenawi, in 1997 asked Pope St. John Paul II to establish a Catholic University in Ethiopia to address the acute needs throughout Ethiopia, with a particular focus on health and medical services. Ethiopian Catholic University (ECU) was conceived not merely as a place to advance academic insights, but more importantly, to equip compassionate individuals with practical leadership and expert skills in service to their country.