He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Grenoble in France. He has previously taught philosophy at Addis Ababa University. He is the author of several books, Meaning and Development (Rodopi 1994), Survival and Modernization (Red Sea 1999), Africa’s Quest for a Philosophy of Decolonization (2004), Radicalism and Cultural Dislocation in Ethiopia, 1960-1974 (Rochester 2008) and the co-editor of Education, Politics and Social Change in Ethiopia (Tsehai 2010). He has also published numerous articles in professional journals including The International Journal of Ethiopian Studies where he serves as editorial board member.