Mohammed Dejen Assen teaches at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia) where he obtained a BA in history and an MA and PhD in federalism and governance. He also holds an LLB in Law from Mekelle University. His research interests include the interaction between law and religion, religion and human rights, federalism, minority rights, secularism, politics and governance in Africa, and ethnicity and identity politics in Ethiopia. He has published journal articles and book chapters and served as a consultant for government institutions and international organizations on diverse issues. He has received awards and grants from different institutions, including the 2018 Open Society Foundations Civil Society Scholar Award. He is a recipient of the 2020 African Peacebuilding (APN) Individual Research Fellowship.