Mohamed Aden Hassan has recently been appointed PRIO Global Fellow. Hassan works with PRIO researchers Cindy Horst and Ebba Tellander on projects related to accountability, diaspora and transnationalism, youth and migration in Somaliland.
Hassan holds an MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a PhD in Sociology from the University of London. His thesis was entitled ‘Transnational active citizens: Theorizing the experiences of young Somali men in London’. He has furthermore been a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Urban and Community Research, University of London.
Hassan combines academic research with public media engagement, social entrepreneurship and community activism. One of his main research interests relates to the social, economic and political impact of Mobile Money in Africa. Besides having conducted several academic and applied projects on the topic, Hassan is involved in developing a practical solution to enable local individuals and businesses in Somaliland to transfer money internationally in the absence of international banks in the country.
The transnational activities of (young) Somalis have been another main topic of his research over the years, including work on remittance sending, development and humanitarian aid. As chairman of the charity ‘Nomad International’, he has coordinated health and education projects in Somaliland and the Dadaab refugee camps. Furthermore, Hassan has extensive media experience as journalist for Thomson Reuters Foundation and Universal TV, and as Director for Europe for Horn Cable TV and Founder/Chair of Star Media Corporation also known as Star TV. The TV is a globally oriented satellite and online broadcasting service catering for the Somali speaking community and employs around 70 permanent and freelance journalists.
Hassan’s research has been supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in the UK, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
