Founded by Jesuit Lucien Matte at the request of Emperor Haile Selassie I, AAU began as a two-year college in 1950. It evolved into a fully-fledged university by 1954 and was renamed Haile Selassie I University in 1961. Following the 1974 revolution, it was briefly known as the University of Ethiopia before adopting its current name in 1975. AAU is Ethiopia’s oldest and largest university, with 13 campuses across the country.