Hirut Woldemariam was the first woman to become Vice-Chancellor of an African university. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Linguistics from Addis Ababa University and her Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics from the University of Cologne. She has served in many cabinet ministerial positions, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
She is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philology at Addis Ababa University and Under-Secretary-General for Research, Evaluation and Foresight at the Organisation for Southern Cooperation (OSC). Beyond academic excellence, Hirut Woldemariam is both a role model and a sought after inspirational speaker when it comes to female empowerment.