Dr. Ashenafi Biru
Details
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College: Management
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Department: Management
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Campus: City Campus Australia
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ashenafi.biru@rmit.edu.au
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ORCID: 0000-0003-0586-8733
Open to
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
About
Dr Ashenafi Biru is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Management at RMIT University. Prior to joining RMIT, Ashenafi worked at Mekelle University in Ethiopia and the Korea Development Institute in South Korea. He also has industry experience with the Millennium Villages Project. Ashenafi received his PhD in Entrepreneurship and Management from RMIT University.
With an interdisciplinary research background, Ashenafi's research interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, strategy, and international business. He has published in reputable ABDC A*/A journals, including the Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Business Review, and Energy Economics, among others. Ashenafi has presented his work at major international conferences such as the Academy of Management, Babson Entrepreneurship Conference, and the Australasian Consortium for Entrepreneurship Research Excellence (ACERE). He has been awarded numerous internal and external research grants.
Ashenafi teaches courses in entrepreneurship and strategy, employing innovative teaching methods to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. He has a particular professional interest in using interactive educational games to foster creative and collaborative learning environments. Recently, he developed serious board games for entrepreneurship students. His excellence in teaching has been recognised with several awards, including the ‘Collaborations in Learning and Teaching Award 2023’ and the ‘Innovative Learning and Teaching Practice Award 2022’ from the School of Management at RMIT.
Ashenafi previously served as the program manager for the Entrepreneurship major and is currently the program manager for the Strategy and Innovation major in the Bachelor of Business Program. In addition to his academic responsibilities, he collaborates with startup entrepreneurs and large companies through research projects, education, mentoring, consultancy, and public speaking.
Research fields
- 350704 Entrepreneurship
- 3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour
- 350718 Strategy
- 350705 Innovation management
- 350706 International business
- 350716 Small business organisation and management
- 440405 Poverty, inclusivity and wellbeing
UN sustainable development goals
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- 4 Quality Education
- 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- 1 No Poverty
- 5 Gender Equality
Academic positions
- Program Manager of Strategy and Innovation Major
- RMIT University
- Melbourne, Australia
- 1 Jan 2024 – Present
- Program Manager of Entrepreneurship Major
- RMIT University
- Melbourne, Australia
- 1 Jan 2023 – 30 Dec 2023
Supervisor projects
- Exploring the Synergy of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Continuity Management for Enhanced Long-Term Success of SMEs: the Mediating Role of Corporate Governance
- 14 Feb 2024
- Exploring the Impact of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems on Social Entrepreneurship
- 4 Sep 2023
- A study on hope and entrepreneurial outcomes: The mediating role of entrepreneurship education
- 21 Dec 2022
Teaching interests
Research interests
Recent Grants:
- The Entrepreneurial Self: A Guided Exploration via Boardgame (Funded by: Adobe x Creative Curriculum Grant, 2024)
- Cross-disciplinary entrepreneurial product design challenge (Funded by RMIT Innovative Assessment Grant, 2024)
- Migrant entrepreneurs in post Covid-19 economy: Enabling sustained entrepreneurship through enhanced financial and digital skills.. Funded by: Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Grant from (2021 to 2022)
- Policy Initiatives and Financial Inclusion of the Poor in Ethiopia. Funded by: KDI School of Public Policy and Management - Competitive from (2019 to 2021)
