Robel Asmammaw

Robel Mulat Asmammaw is an Assistant Professor at Dilla University, Ethiopia and holds a PhD from the University of Gondar. As an urban anthropologist, his research examines on the intersection urbanization, industrialization, and migration. His recent work focuses on the Hawassa Special Economic Zone (HSEZ) in Ethiopia, the largest in Africa, critically analyzing how infrastructural development shapes urban ecology through the experiences of migrant workers. His scholarship has been published in journals including Eastern African Studies, Work in the Global Economy, Social Sciences & Humanities Open, and London School of Economics blog. He regularly writes his academic work into public dialogue through blogs and opinion pieces in both English and Amharic. He is currently a visiting fellow at the African Studies Centre Leiden, Netherlands (ASCL).

Recent Publications
Mulat, R. (2026). The promise of employment: Migration, gender, and labour integration in Ethiopia's urban special economic zones. Social Sciences & Humanities Open. Volume 13, 2026, 102367.