A Note from the Executive Director The National Higher Education and Research Institute (NHERI) is pleased to publish these two volumes of the Proceedings of the International Conference on Eritrean Studies (ICES) held on 20-22 July 2016 in Asmara. Production of conference proceedings of this magnitude, over 1,200 pages, is the first of its kind since the liberation of Eritrea. ICES 2016 rekindled interest on Eritrean studies at national, regional and international levels. It evidenced the potential for research and discussion on various fields of Eritrean studies. The exemplary organization of ICES-2016 and the production of these Proceedings within two years of the conference by Eritrea-based academics is, on the one hand, an encouraging testament to the growing self-suf ciency of the human potential in the country. It is, on the other hand, a loud call for the further strengthening of the potential of our local aca- demics in continued collaboration with Eritrean and expatriate scholars residing abroad as well as regional and international research institutions. The NHERI, as it is its mandate, will continue to encourage the convocation of conferences, symposia and related events on Eritrean studies as well as support research and the production of academic works such as these Proceedings. It is with sincere hope to witness the production of the next conference proceedings that I seize this opportunity to congratulate the organizers of ICES 2016 as well as the editors and all those who laboured to produce these two volumes. Dr. Haile Mehtsun Executive Director, NHERI