Tesfaye Zeleke

Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke, an associate professor of development sociology at Addis Ababa University, has extensive experience working with higher education institutions, government sectors, and development partners. Since his recruitment, Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke has served Addis Ababa University in various administrative capacities, ranging from academic unit-level coordination to a deanship position. Dr. Tesfaye is currently the Director for Research Capacity Building and Management at Addis Ababa University.

Dr. Tesfaye also mentored more than 50 postgraduate students (at the MA and Ph.D. levels) over a decade in Ethiopia and East African Communities. Dr. Tesfaye also coordinated several projects that positively impacted the lives of rural and urban communities across several localities of Ethiopia. Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke also served in advisory positions with various organizations, including the former Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy (MoWIE), and on projects funded by the World Bank. Dr Tesfaye is the Ethiopia counterpart for the research on the contribution of NPOs to Youth Employment in Africa.

Dr. Tesfaye has also served as a member and board member of think tanks and organizations such as Forum for Social Studies (FSS), Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social Workers and Social Anthropologists (ESSWA), Organization for Social Sciences Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), Education for Development Association (EFDA) – Local NGO, and Catering Tourism and Training Institute (CTTI).

Dr. Tesfaye’s research expertise spans livelihood restoration and the socio-economic impact of development projects; youth focused programs; the Environment-Society Nexus; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and eco-tourism governance. Dr. Tesfaye has published and co-published several peer-reviewed articles on development-related topics and presented conference papers at national and international levels. Recently, Dr. Tesafye played a pivotal role in establishing and coordinating the Environmental and Social Standards Learning Center at Addis Ababa University.