A CONEL lecturer has won a prestigious journalism fellowship at California's Stanford University, one of America's top academic institutions.

Abebe Gellaw, a Reuters-trained journalist and former prisoner of conscience from Ethiopia, now living in exile in London, is the first Ethiopian to win a Knight International Fellowship. He teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at CONEL.

Abebe is the founding editor of pro-democracy news site, Addisvoice.com, which publishes news and analysis about Ethiopia and the wider region. He was awarded the fellowship for the high quality of his journalism and efforts to develop and support vibrant online media outlets.

"CONEL has significantly contributed to my success as it helped me embrace two great professions at the same time" said Abebe. "Teaching a diverse group of students from all over the world has always reminded me of the pressing issues facing our world and the kind of untold stories that my writing focuses on."

"Being a microcosm of our world, CONEL is a unique place of learning where anyone from any part of the world feels welcomed and at home to get nurtured and readied for the challenges and opportunities that awaits them in real life" he added. He expressed hope that his achievement would also inspire CONEL students and other colleagues, "Many of who come from some of the most troubled parts of the world, with so many skills and untapped potential, to make relentless efforts to realise their dreams."

CONEL's Principal and Chief Executive, Paul Head, said, "We are very proud of Abebe's achievement in winning this top international scholarship. We have many talented and committed people on our staff, helping learners to achieve their goals. Being taught by a journalist of Abebe Gellaw's experience and expertise is inspirational for our ESOL students. We all want to congratulate him and wish him every success during his year at Stanford."