About PIRC
PIRC is a non-profit independet non-partisan think tank based in Ethiopia, dedicated to advancing evidence-based decision-making. It aspires to be the premier hub for the development of innovative policies and programs, conducting rigorous impact evaluations, synthesizing findings and supporing the scaling of effective interventions in Ethiopia and beyond. By convening both local and inernational stakeholders PIRC serve as a dynamic platform to drive impactful and innovative solutions for societal advancement.
PIRC prioritizes building interdisciplinary local capacity to inform context-specific economic and social policies that global societal relevance. PIRC employs an inclusive, interdisciplinary, and internationally informed approach and establishes strategic partnerships with government, think tanks, international organizations, donors, and the private sector to bridge the gaps in the use of evidence in informing policy and practice.
Our Vision
To free the world from challenges through innovative solutions
Our Mission
To create an ecosystem where innovative policies and programs drives policy and practice
Join Us
Be part of shaping a brighter, more sustainable future. Explore our initiatives, collaborate on transformative research, and contribute to policies that make a difference locally and globally.
Our Advisory Board
Yeshimebrat Mersha Kassa
Dr. Ambassador Yeshimebrat Mersha Kassa is an Ethiopian scholar and diplomat recognized for her trailblazing leadership in academia, diplomacy, and public service. She became the first female president of Bahir Dar University, serving from 2008 to 2011, after holding positions such as Academic Vice President, Programs Officer, and Gender Office Coordinator. With a PhD in Education, Gender and Development, and Leadership from Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria, she has been a strong advocate for women’s empowerment in higher education. Following her academic leadership, she joined Ethiopia’s diplomatic service, serving as Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire and later as Director of the Foreign Relations Strategic Information Resource Center. In addition, she has been a Chair of peace subcommittee under Foreign Relations and Peace Standing Committee of the Ethiopian parliament where she contributes her expertise to legislative and policy matters. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to advancing education, gender equity, and Ethiopia’s role in both national governance and international relations.
Asrat Atsedewoyn
Dr. Asrat Atsedeweyn is a distinguished academic leader known for his strong record of institutional transformation at the University of Gondar. Rising rapidly from lecturer to senior leadership roles, he served as Head of the Department of Statistics, Dean of the College of Natural and Computational Sciences, and Academic Vice President before becoming President of the University in 2019. In this role, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership by driving reforms that enhance research capacity, expand international partnerships, and promote inclusive education, particularly for students with disabilities. His ability to combine vision with practical action has positioned the University of Gondar as a model for innovation and community engagement in Ethiopian higher education. Beyond academia, his election to the Amhara State House of Peoples and Representatives in 2021 further reflects his leadership influence in governance and regional development.
Helen Reta
Mrs. Helen Reta is a Manager of Research and Policy Analysis Division at
Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, where she leadsa portfolio of impactful research projects, from design to data collection, analysis and follow-through; research teams to ensure research projects are designed using rigorous and innovative research methods; review of private sector related government policies, proclamations, regulations and directives. She has about fifteen years of experience working in the private sector.
Alemayehu Wassie
Dr. Alemayehu Wassie Eshete is the Board Secretary and Executive Director of ORDA Ethiopia. He was elected as Executive Director in January 2018 and has made significant contributions to the organization’s success. With over thirty years of experience in forestry, ecology, and conservation, he has held influential positions within governmental and non-governmental organizations. His commitment extends to conserving church forests in Ethiopia’s northern highlands, which are crucial for biodiversity and water resources. In addition to his environmental work, Dr. Alemayehu is a recognized author of mystical novels, showcasing his literary talents.
Tirumar Abate
H.E Mrs. Tirumar Abate is a state minister for Planning and Development at the Ministry of Planning and Development. She studied Business Management at undergrad and has an MA in Leadership and Governance. She was among the women leaders who have shared their experience to young women during the establishment of Young Ethiopian Women’s Voice (YEWV) in December 2022. She is also one of the women politicians who participated in the leadership and decision-making pre-election (Ethiopian national election 2021) training delivered by Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), Timran and UN Women. She was an active participant in events at schools and Universities she has attended, and she recalled that those exposures helped her to be assertive and vocal.
Our Team
Solomon Zena Walelign
Founding Executive DirectorSolomon Zena Walelign is a Research Fellow at the Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute and Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Gondar, Ethiopia. He is also a Research Consultant at the International Center for Evaluation. He has a PhD in Environmental and Resource Economics and in Forest Sciences at Georg-August University of Göttingen. His current research focuses on, among others, finding innovating solutions to build resilient livelihoods in the global south. His work has been published at World Development, Journal of Development Studies, and Ecological Economics, among others. He conducted fieldwork in Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Email:example@gmail.com
Habtamu Tesfaye Edjigu
Research FellowEmail:example@gmail.com
Abebe Ambachew Ayana
Founding Director of Research and InnovationDr. Abebe Ambachew Ayana is a Development Economist with a PhD from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Japan, MSc in Economics from Addis Ababa University and a BA in Economics from Haramaya University. Dr. Abebe has a diverse background, including research experience at the Policy Study Institute (PSI) in Addis Ababa and as a short-term consultant at the World Bank. He previously served as a faculty member at Haramaya University, where he also actively participated in university management. Dr. Abebe’s research interests encompass various areas of development economics, with a particular focus on impact evaluation of policies and programs, trade and industry development, small business development and entrepreneurship, livelihoods of internally displaced people (IDPs), and small-scale cross-border trade. He possesses extensive expertise in the design, collection, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, and has a proven track record in managing research projects effectively.
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Yetsedaw Emagne Bekele
Research FellowI earned a PhD in Economics from the University of Messina, where I specialized in financial inclusion, economic growth, and monetary policy effectiveness. I also obtained a master’s degree in applied economics, Modeling, and Forecasting, and an advanced Master’s in Economics of Globalization and European Integration in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Resource Economics and Management. I have extensive experience in field coordination and analytics, having served as a consultant for the World Bank's Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) Unit. As the Principal Investigator for multiple research projects, I have led innovative studies on
state effectiveness, financial inclusion, and management practices in Ethiopia. My expertise spans DSGE modeling, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the design and implementation of large-scale surveys. My work focuses on evidence-based policy solutions to improve public sector performance and enhance economic development in Ethiopia and beyond.
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Alemnew Mekonnen Wolde
Policy Advocacy HeadDr. Alemnew Mekonnen Wolde got a Ph.D. in economics from Peking University with a focus on national development, as well as a Master’s degree in Development Evaluation & Management from the University of Antwerp. He attended different short-term training courses, including impact evaluation, research ethics and scientific integrity, project evaluation and program management, value chain management and analysis, and others. He is currently a senior researcher at PSI and a senior field researcher at ISSCAD for Peking University’s East African Industry Development Study Project. Introduced the Ethiopia manufacturing industry linkage strategy with the other study team members. He investigated Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry and Comparative Advantage using the Growth Identification and Facilitation Framework (GIFF) model. He has researched and published on the Manufacturing Value-Added (MVA) and Export Share Determinants of Ethiopia using the ARDL model. With other members of the study team, he formulated an industry development strategy, an agriculture development regional policy, and governance strategies for the Amhara National Region. Furthermore, he has over fifteen years of professional experience as a regional and national development practitioner, study enterprise general manager, policy research institution deputy executive director, and researcher in a variety of roles and contexts. He has done different socioeconomic activities that involved and interacted with local and international multilateral institutions such as Peking University-ISSCAD, the World Bank, UNIDO, and others. He authored the Amharic version of the book “Political Economy and Ethiopia’s Renaissance,” and presented four (4) major research findings on manufacturing development and other related studies at national and international conferences, the proceedings of which were published. Two peer-reviewed professional articles appeared in international journals.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Yohannes Ayele
Research FellowYohannes Ayele is a researcher specializing in international economics, firm dynamics in global trade, free trade agreements (FTAs), and trade policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Aarhus University and an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen. Yohannes has held academic and research positions at Bahir Dar University as a lecturer, Aarhus University as a teaching assistant, and the University of Sussex as a research fellow at the UK Trade Policy Observatory. He is currently a researcher at ODI Global.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Balew Demissie
Communication and information headDr. Balew Demissie is a seasoned Communication and Publication Consultant with extensive experience working with various government and international organizations, including the Policy Studies Institute. He is also a faculty member at Addis Ababa University, specializing in Ethiopian and African literature, art, culture, and media. He holds both a Doctorate and Master’s degree in Literature from Addis Ababa University, with outstanding research achievements. In addition, he has served as a visiting professor of African Studies at several universities across Africa and Asia. Beyond his academic roles, Dr. Balew made significant contributions as the Director of Public and International Relations at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University and played a key role as a lead researcher and editor-in-chief for the Ethiopian 15-Year Education Roadmap. With a comprehensive academic background, including a BA, MA, and PhD in Literature, he possesses a diverse skill set spanning policy research and analysis, international relations, graphic design, website administration, content creation, media technology, and production. Dr. Balew is also an expert in preparing high-level documents and has authored several academic books and Scopus-indexed articles.Linkedin
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Admasu Asfaw
Research FellowAdmasu Asfaw Maruta is a development economist with research interests in economic growth, income inequality, poverty, education, health, and financial inclusion. His work particularly focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of international capital flows—including foreign aid—in promoting sectoral economic development. He has published in top-ranked journals on topics such as foreign aid, economic growth, energy, financial development, women’s empowerment, institutional quality, and trade.
Maruta holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Adelaide (formerly the University of South Australia), Australia; an MSc in Agriculture and Resource Economics from the University of Alberta, Canada; an MA in Business Economics from Unity University, Ethiopia; and a BA in Economics from Haramaya University, Ethiopia.
He has previously worked with the Nigeria Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment (MTI) team as an Africa Fellow at the World Bank, as a Research Analyst at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), as a Senior Research Officer at Frontieri Consult, and as a Postdoctoral Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne. He is currently a Postdoctoral Scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), where he focuses on economic modeling and foresight analysis of livestock sector demand, supply, and international trade, and their interactions with other sectors using a multi-market partial equilibrium model.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Tefera Berihun Taw
Research FellowTefera Berihun Taw (PhD)
Tefera Berihun Taw is an Associate Professor Economics at the Ethiopian Civil Service University. He holds a PhD in Economics from Punjabi University, India, an MSc in Economics from the University of Gondar, and a BA in Economics from Hawassa University, Ethiopia.
Dr. Tefera has taught and conducted research at several Ethiopian universities, including the University of Gondar and Wollo University.He also served in leadership roles such as Research and Publication Officer, Research and Publication Coordinator, and Department Head.
He has participated in research projects funded by the World Bank, the International Center for Evaluation and Development (ICED), Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA), the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy, and the University of Gondar. His research interests include environment and natural resources, energy, agriculture, livelihoods, circular economy, and peace-related studies, with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals.
To strengthen his expertise, Dr. Tefera has completed professional trainings in teaching methodology, policy impact evaluation, choice experiment and strategic planning.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Ayalnesh Zemene Yalew
Research FellowAyalnesh Zemene Yalew is an Assistant Professor at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College and a researcher specializing in Reproductive Health (RH). She has extensive experience in impact evaluation, having received training from the University of California, Berkeley through the CEGA Fellowship Program. She is also an alumna of the University of Michigan’s African Presidential Scholars Program and holds certification in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights from Lund University.
Ayalnesh has led multiple research projects as a principal or lead researcher, bringing both academic expertise and practical field experience. Her research interests include women’s health and empowerment, forced displacement, adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, public health economics, digital health solutions, and population and fertility issues.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Geremew Worku Kassie
Research FellowGeremew Worku Kassie is an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. He has an MSc in Development Economics (Ethiopia) and International Cooperation Policy at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan), and a BA Degree in Economics at Addis Ababa University. He was a visiting fellow at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy), the University of Reunion Island, and Université Paris Nanterre (France). He is a dedicated economist with a robust focus on applied economics, monitoring and impact evaluation, rural livelihood, agricultural productivity, sustainable land management, and health economics and policy. His current research focuses on analyzing the effect of health policy on child and women’s health outcomes, as well as leading and engaging in an ongoing research project on conflict and education in Ethiopia. He holds proven extensive expertise in advanced impact evaluation techniques and quantitative and qualitative data collection, tabulation, and analysis methods.
He conducted the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the World Bank’s intervention aimed at enhancing the capacity of the ANRS Audit Office and facilitating the expansion of urban infrastructure projects within the Amhara Regional State, supported by the Bank’s Urban Institutional and Infrastructure Development Program (UIIDP) in Ethiopia. In his role as a performance audit manager, he meticulously oversees and evaluates the projects and operations, ensuring compliance with the principles of economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. He examined and assessed the integration of Ethiopia’s environmental legislation alongside international environmental conventions within the government institutions that Ethiopia has ratified.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Tadesse Zenebe Lema
Rsearch FellowTadesse Zenebe Lema is a Research Assistant at Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute and an Assistant Professor of Economics at Debre Berhan University. He holds a Master’s degree in International Trade and Economic Cooperation. His research focuses on resource allocation efficiency and program evaluation. Tadesse published studies that applied rigorous and evidence-based approaches to assess the effectiveness of development interventions. He has published studies on efficiency evaluation in the financial and agricultural sectors as well as agricultural technology adoption. Through his work, Tadesse strives to generate actionable insights that promote the scaling up of successful programs and policies, supporting informed decision-making and sustainable economic growth.
Email:mail@gmail.com
Mihret Getaneh Chefke
Research FellowMihret Getaneh Chefke is a development economist. Her research focuses on the intersection of health and agriculture. Her previous work explores how agricultural practices and environmental conditions influence disease risks and human well-being, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Mihret has experience in empirical research, combining econometric modeling, GIS, and remote sensing techniques to analyze complex linkages between environmental factors and health outcomes.
She has coordinated household surveys in rural settings and has extensive experience in managing household survey data across multiple countries in Africa. Mihret’s research skills extend to conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, where she applies machine learning techniques to improve the efficiency of the evidence synthesis. She has served as a Lecturer at Addis Ababa University and Hawassa University, where she taught economics courses and supervised undergraduate students. She also worked as a Graduate Research Intern at the Social Sciences and Impact Assessment Unit of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe). Mihret holds a Ph.D. in Development Economics from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan, a Master’s degree in Economic Policy Analysis, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Addis Ababa University.
Email:mail@gmal.com
Gebeyehu M. Fetene
Research FellowDr. Gebeyehu is (tenure track) Assistant Professor of Economics at Addis Ababa University. He has been conducting research in agricultural and development economics areas, supervising students’ theses and teaches courses. He has been conducting impact evaluation studies. Gebeyehu has a proven track record of securing external funding, for example, from CEGA of the University of California (Berkeley), J-PAL and IGC of the London School of Economics. He experienced conducting both lab and field economics experiments, published in well -regarded economics journals and has a number of discussion papers, impact evaluation reports and conference proceedings.
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Amelaku Belay Teka
Research FellowDr. Amelaku Belay Teka is a seasoned professional in Accounting and Finance, holding a PhD in Commerce from Punjabi University. His research focuses on key areas such as Financial Reporting, Audit Quality, Access to Finance, and Strategic Financial Management in emerging economies, with several publications in reputable international journals. With over a decade of academic experience, Dr. Amelaku has served as a University Instructor and has successfully supervised numerous postgraduate research projects. Alongside his academic career, he is an Authorized Accountant, UNCTAD EMPRETEC National Trainer, ILO SIYB National Trainer and a Certified Management Consultant, bringing a strong blend of theoretical insight and practical expertise. His professional background spans teaching, research, and financial and entrepreneurial consulting, including extensive work with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Dr. Amelaku is deeply committed to impactful, evidence-based research and policy development that fosters financial transparency and economic growth in emerging markets.
Email:mail@gmail.com