DSA Ireland are pleased to announce the winner of the Best Student Paper of the Year 2023. Congratulations to Tsegay Balcha (and co-authors) on their win with the paper 'The interplay between farm production diversity and food market visits in shaping smallholder household diets in Ethiopia'
Tsegay was presented with his award on the 8th of May.
Tsegay Balcha's academic journey commenced with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Seeking to deepen his impact on grassroots economic development, he transitioned to a role as a Small and Micro-enterprise expert in an NGO based in Tigray, Ethiopia. In this role, he directly interacted with rural smallholder farmers, igniting a deep-seated passion for development economics. Shortly thereafter, inspired by his experience as a development expert he joined Debre Birhan University, Ethiopia, as an assistant lecturer. Here, he studied and successfully completed a master’s degree in development economics from the University of Gondar and served at Debre Birhan University as a lecturer. In pursuit of broader horizons and new academic challenges, he moved to Mekelle University, Ethiopia, and continued his academic career in the Department of Economics as a lecturer and headed the department for one year, until he got the scholarship opportunity for a Ph.D. position in the Department of Food Business and Development at University College Cork, Ireland.
Unfortunately, on his return to Tigray, Ethiopia to conduct my survey, he found himself stranded in a deadly civil war which broke out in Tigray in November 2020. This caused a substantial interruption in his Ph.D. education for the period October 2020 to April 2023. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of education, resilience, and unwavering determination. As he continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of academia, he remains steadfast in my commitment to leveraging knowledge as a catalyst for positive change.