Rate My Professor Dessie Ambaw

Dr. Dessie Ambaw is a Senior Lecturer in Economics and the Program Director for the Bachelor of Economics program at the School of Economics, College of Business and Law, Adelaide University. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Adelaide (2015-2019), an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen (2011-2013), an MSc in Economic Policy Analysis from Addis Ababa University (2009-2011), and a Bachelor of Arts from Bahir Dar University (2004-2007). Prior to his current position, Ambaw served as a Lecturer in Economics at the University of South Australia from 2022 to 2025, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Adelaide from 2019 to 2021, a Data Analyst Consultant at the World Bank in 2018-2019, an Economist at Statistics Denmark from 2014 to 2015, and a Lecturer at Bahir Dar University from 2007 to 2009.

Ambaw's research interests encompass applied economics, econometric methods and applications, economic growth, development and trade, and international economics. His current work examines how international trade policy, foreign firm entry, industrial policy, and exchange rate changes influence global value chain integration, technology diffusion to domestic firms, firm productivity, and civil conflict. Notable publications include "Improving Exports: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange" with Edjigu and Sim (The World Economy, 2025), "Real Exchange Rate Misalignment and Civil Conflict: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa" with Sim (Oxford Economic Papers, 2019), "Industrial subsidies and impact on exports of trading partners: Case of China" with Thangavelu (Review of Development Economics, 2022), and "Minimizing COVID-19 Transmission Cases: Do Policies and Institutions Matter?" with Hing, Osakwe, and Thangavelu (The World Economy, 2022). He has been recognized with Staff Excellence Awards for Teaching Commendation and Teaching Collaboration and Peer Support (University of South Australia, 2024), Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence (University of Adelaide, 2019), and scholarships including the Adelaide Scholarship International (2015). Ambaw teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Data Analytics, Empirical Business Analysis, International Trade, and Applied Econometrics, and currently supervises several PhD students in economics-related topics. He is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students.