Berhan Ahmed is the chairman of the African Think Tank, and in 2004 was the first immigrant born in Africa to run for an Australian parliamentary office.
12 Facts About Berhan Ahmed
1.
2.
Berhan Ahmed was born in the Province of Eritrea in Ethiopia.
3.
Berhan Ahmed became a refugee at age 15 during the civil war and fled to Sudan.
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At the age of 22, Berhan Ahmed sought asylum in Australia, eventually settling in Melbourne.
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Berhan Ahmed drove a taxi and worked as a tram conductor, while earning a master's degree in Animal Science at La Trobe University.
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Berhan Ahmed worked for a decade at the CSIRO, and gained a PhD in forest sciences at the University of Melbourne.
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Berhan Ahmed was latterly a senior research fellow at the Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, and retains an honorary appointment at the university.
8.
Berhan Ahmed has developed termite distribution and taxonomies, and contributed to an integrated termite pest management system.
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Berhan Ahmed received four percent of the primary vote as an independent candidate for the 2012 Melbourne state by-election.
10.
Berhan Ahmed was president of and a candidate for Voice for the West, a short-lived micro party that ran candidates in the 2014 Victorian state election, without electing any.
11.
Berhan Ahmed is the chairman of the Victoria-based Africa Think Tank, which serves migrant and refugee communities from Africa.
12.
Berhan Ahmed is involved in public advocacy on cultural issues, racism and human rights.