Dr Samson Maekele Tsegay

Samson studied MA and PhD degrees in Educational Leadership and Policy (Comparative Education) on a Chinese Government Scholarships at Beijing Normal University, China. He finished his PhD with a CGPA of 4.00/4.00 (having an average mark of 96%) and was awarded “2018 Excellent International Student Graduate”. In 2020, he also completed another PhD in Education and Social Justice at the University of Roehampton, UK. He was a recipient of the distinguished Roehampton University-Sacred Heart (RUSH) Scholarship.

Before joining Beijing Normal University, he worked in Eritrea as a graduate assistant and program coordinator for about ten years. He was the Coordinator of Distance Education and Evening programs of the University of Asmara and the National Board for Higher Education, Eritrea. Furthermore, he worked as a Visiting Lecturer at Beijing Normal University and University of Roehampton.

Samson has published many book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals. He also serves as an editorial board member in different journals, including Teaching in Higher Education, and is acting as the Regional Editor for the Bloomsbury Education and Childhood Studies (for Higher Education and Youth--Eritrea). His research interests focus on education, migration, and social justice.

• Tigrigna 
• Amharic 
• English

• Comparative education
• Critical pedagogy
• Global citizenship education
• Refugee and migrants’ experiences
• Gender and family relations

Samson supervises research students in the broad fields of education and migration.

• PhD in Education and Social Justice, University of Roehampton
• PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy (Comparative Education), Beijing Normal University
• MA in Educational Leadership and Policy (Comparative Education), Beijing Normal University
• BA in Educational Administration, University of Asmara

• Editorial Board member, Teaching in Higher Education (since 2024)
• Regional Editor (for Higher Education and Youth), Eritrea, Bloomsbury Education and Childhood Studies (since 2023)
• Editorial Board member, Access: Critical Explorations of Equity in Higher Education (since 2021)
• Editorial Board member, International Journal of Life Skills Education (since 2021)

• 2026-2027: Learning opportunity or exploitation? Experiences of refugees and asylum seekers with non-formal education in the UK. (Investigator: Samson Maekele Tsegay)(budget: £5,158.4)
• 2025-2026: Threads of Heritage: Connecting West African Costumes with Local communities, O5BM/Heritage Foundation (Investigator: Samson Maekele Tsegay; Research Assistant: Friend Olamuy-wa)(budget: £26,796.33)
• 2025-2026: Digital literacy of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, funded by British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) (Investigator: Samson Maekele Tsegay; Co-Investigator: Dr Tarisai Chikomba) (budget: £4755.04)
• 2024-2025: Human Capital and the UK Graduate Route: Understanding the Career Expectations and Experiences of International Graduates in the UK, funded by BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Scheme (Investigator: Samson Maekele Tsegay; Research Assistant: Joey Phang) (budget: £9306.75)
• 2024: The role and challenges of organisations supporting asylum-seekers and refugees in England, funded by Research and Innovation funding, Anglia Ruskin University (Principal Investigator: Samson Maekele Tsegay; Research Assistant: Zewdi Dagnew Tecleberhan) (budget: £6,990)
• 2023-2024: Standing together: Preventing violence against refugee women and girls, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund (Principal Investigator; budget: £9998)
• 2022-2023: Schools and Outreach Unit, ARU: Evaluation of Outreach Activities at Anglia Ruskin University (Researcher; budget: £20,909)
• 2022: Gender-based Violence among Eritrean Refugees in Great Britain, funded by Safe and Inclusive Communities (S&ICs) funding, Anglia Ruskin University (Principal Investigator; budget: £6516)
• 2021-2022: NOA/EVD Transition projects evaluation, funded by Norfolk County Council (Researcher; £43,000)

Journal articles

Zemuy, M., Tsegay, S. M., & Peng, A. (2026). Assessment for Learning Practices: International Students’ Experiences in Chinese Higher Education. Beijing International Review of Education, 25902547261458594.

Tsegay, S. M., & Dagnew, Z. A. (2026). Migrant-Led Community Organisations: Mobilising Ethnic Capital to Support Refugees and Asylum Seekers in England. Behavioral Sciences, 16(1), 136. doi.org/10.3390/bs16010136

Tsegay, S. M., & Dagnew, Z. A. (2026). Deploying Community Cultural Capital: Peer Guidance and Counselling Among Eritrean Refugees and Asylum Seekers in England. Human Arenas, 1-21. doi.org/10.1007/s42087-026-00600-7

Tsegay, S. M. (2026). A scoping review of UK immigration and asylum laws: The endless cycle of ‘Migration Fix’. Genealogy, 10(1), 12. doi.org/10.3390/genealogy10010012

Ashraf, M. A., Tsegay, S. M., Gull, N., Saeed, M., & Dawood, H. (2024). The role of blended learning in improving medical students’ academic performance: evidence from Pakistan. Frontiers in Medicine, 11, 1425659. doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1425659

Zemuy, M., Tsegay, S. M., & Aihui, P. (2024). PowerPoint-based lectures and students’ experiences in Eritrean Higher Education Institutions. SN Social Sciences, 4(9), 162. doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00959-w

Ubah, C. I., Goldspink, S., & Tsegay, S. M. (2024). Black African international nurses' experiences of pastoral support: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 6, 100202. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100202

Ashraf, M. A., Shabnam, N., Tsegay, S. M., & Huang, G. (2023). Acceptance of Smart Technologies in Blended Learning: Perspectives of Chinese Medical Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2756. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032756

Tsegay, S. M., & Tecleberhan, S. 2023. Violence Against Women: Experiences of Eritrean Refugee Women in Britain. Journal of Violence Against Women, 10778012231220372. doi.org/10.1177/10778012231220372

Tsegay, S. M. 2023. International Migration: Definition, Causes and Effects. Genealogy, 7(3), 61. doi.org/10.3390/genealogy7030061

Tsegay. S. M, Wheeler, L., Kirkman, P., & Pratt-Adams, S. 2023. Teacher perspectives on primary-secondary school transition projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sage Open, 13(2), 21582440231181382. doi.org/10.1177/21582440231181382

Tsegay, S. M. (2022) 'Hope Springs Eternal: Exploring the Early Settlement Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Refugees in the UK', Journal of International Migration and Integration, 23(3), pp. 1235-1255. Available at: doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00883-5

Tsegay, S. M. (2022) 'Gender and Family Relations: Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK', Global Social Welfare, 9(2), pp. 79-88. Available at: doi.org/10.1007/s40609-021-00217-4

Tsegay, S. M. and Epstein, D. (2022) 'Interview: In conversation with Professor Debbie Epstein', Access: Critical explorations of equity in higher education, 10(1), pp. 99–105.

Tsegay, S. M., Ashraf, M. A., Perveen, S. and Zegergish, M. Z. (2022) 'Online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic: Teachers’ experiences from a Chinese university', Sustainability, 14(1), pp. 568. Available at: doi.org/10.3390/su14010568

Tsegay, S. M. (2021) 'Raising Children in Exile: Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK', International Studies in Sociology of Education, pp. 1-21.

Ashraf, M. A., Tsegay, S. M. and Meijia, Y. (2021) 'Blended learning for diverse classrooms: Qualitative experimental study with in-service teachers', SAGE Open, 11(3), pp. 1-11.

Ashraf, M. A., Tsegay, S. M. and Ning, J. (2021) 'Teaching Global Citizenship in a Muslim-Majority Country: Perspectives of Teachers from the Religious, National, and International Education Sectors in Pakistan', Religions, 12(5), pp. 1-14.

Tsegay, S. M. and Mcjerry, A. B. (2020) 'Global Citizenship Education and Teacher Education in Africa', In Schugurensky, D. and Wolhuter, C. (Eds) (2020) Global Citizenship Education and Teacher Education, New York and London: Routledge, pp. 139-160.

Tsegay, S. M. (2020) 'Expectations, Challenges and the Struggle to Fit-in: Exploring the Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK', In: Misiaszek, L. I. (Ed) (2020) Exploring complexities in Global Citizenship Education: Hard spaces, methodologies, and ethics, London: Routledge, pp. 112-139.

Frezghi, T. G. and Tsegay, S. M. (2019) 'Internationalisation of Higher Education in China: A Critical Analysis', Social Change, 49(4), pp. 643-658.

Tsegay, S. M. (2019) 'Diaspora academics engagement in Eritrean higher education institutions: Current conditions and future trends', Migration and Development, pp. 1-21.

Tsegay, S. M., Zegergish, M. Z. and Ashraf, M. A. (2018) 'Pedagogical practices and students’ experiences in Eritrean higher education institutions', Higher Education for the Future, 5(1), pp. 89-103.

Tsegay, S. M., Zegergish, M. Z. and Ashraf, M. A. (2018) 'Socio-cultural adjustment experiences of international students in Chinese higher education institutions', Millennial Asia, 9(2), pp. 183-202. Available at: doi.org/10.1177/0976399618786342

Ashraf, M. A., Liu, S., Ismat, H. I. and Tsegay, S. M. (2017) 'Choice of higher education institutions: Perspectives of students from different provinces in China', Frontiers of Education in China, 12(3), pp. 414-435.

Tsegay, S. M. (2016) 'The role of higher education in nurturing global citizenship in Eritrea', Spanish Journal of Comparative Education, 28, pp. 183-201.

Books

Ashraf, M. A. & Tsegay, S. M. (Eds) (2025). Education Policies and Practices in the Global South, Volume One: Basic Education. Springer.

Goodwyn, A., Majid, N. & Tsegay, S.M. (Eds) (2025). Ethnic Minority Agency in Mainstream Education. Emerald Group Publishing.

Ashraf, M. A., He, J., & Tsegay, S. M. (Eds) (2025). The Impact of Technology on Human Behaviors in Medical Professions Education. Frontiers in Medicine.

Tsegay, S. M. (Ed.). (2024). Migration and Forced Displacement: Vulnerability and Resilience (Volume 1). IntechOpen.

Tsegay, S. M. (Ed.). (2024). Migration and Forced Displacement: Vulnerability and Resilience (Volume 2). IntechOpen.

Ashraf, M. A. & Tsegay, S. M. (Eds.). (2024). STEM Education: Recent Developments and Emerging Trends. IntechOpen.

Threads of Heritage: Connecting West African Costumes with Local Communities. African International Conference 2026, 11 June 2025, Bradford.

Human Capital and the UK Graduate Route: Understanding the Career Expectations and Experiences of International Graduates in the UK. BERA annual Conference 2025, 11 September 2025, Brighton.

The Impact of Teacher Education on the Development of Global Citizenship in Africa. ANGEL Conference 2025, 5 June 2025, Berlin.

African Higher Education: The dilemma between policy and practice. BERA Annual Conference 2024, 11 September 2024, Manchester.

Tsegay, S.M. & Connolly, S. BAME regional reflections on the national situation (Symposium). BERA Annual Conference 2023 (12 September 2023, Birmingham).

Tsegay, S.M. Gender-based violence among Eritrean refugees. BERA Annual Conference 2023 (12 September 2023, Birmingham).

Tsegay, S.M. Global Citizenship Education and Teacher Education in African. ARU AFRIG Launch (Invited speaker) (Chelmsford, 23 June 2023).

Tsegay, S.M. (Dis)Engagement of Eritrean Diaspora Academics with their Country of Origin. 2022 SRHE International Conference (7 December 2022 [online]). SRHE2022: Panel sessions: 7c - YouTube.

Tsegay, S.M. Dictatorship and Populism: The Dual Threat to Global Citizenship. 4th WCCES Symposium (18-20 November 2021 [online]).

Tsegay, S.M. Covid 19 and Online Learning: Experiences of International Students in the UK. 2021 International Symposium on Mixed Learning in Higher Education (5-7 November 2021 [online]).

Tsegay, S. M. Life Skills for Socio-Cultural Integration of Migrants, presented at the International Online Conference on Crisis Management through Life Skills (Invited speaker) (18-20 February 2021).

Tsegay, S. M. The Path to the Dream Life: Socio-cultural Integration of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK, presented at the South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) Summer Conference 2019 (Norwich, UK, 10-12 July 2019).

Tsegay, S. M. Exploring the Early Experiences of Highly Educated Migrants in the UK, presented at UACES Graduate Forum Conference 2019 (Manchester, UK, 8-9 July 2019).

Tsegay, S. M. Hope Springs Eternal: Socio-cultural Integration Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK, presented at the School of Education Doctoral Researchers Conference. (University of Roehampton, London, UK, 17 July 2019).

Tsegay, S. M. Expectations, Challenges and the Struggle to Fit-in: Exploring the Experiences of Highly Educated Eritrean Migrants in the UK, presented at the 2nd WCCES Symposium at UNESCO International Bureau of Education (Geneva, Switzerland, 14-15 January 2019).

Tsegay, S. M. Internationalization of Higher Education and Student Mobility: Access, Widening Participation and (Mis)Recognition, presented at the Political Studies Association: British and Comparative Political Economy Specialist Group Workshop (Sheffield, UK, 8 November 2018).

Tsegay, S. M. Pedagogical Practices and Students’ Experiences in Eritrean Higher Education Institutions, presented at the 6th BNU-IOE International Conference in Education (12-13 May 2017, Beijing Normal University).

Tsegay, S. M. The Role of Higher Education in Nurturing Global Citizenship: The case of Eritrea, presented at the 16th World Congress of Comparative Education Societies (22-26 August 2016, Beijing, China).

November 2022- Interview with Mahtsen on Violence against women. Available on Facebook. 

May 2021- Interview with BBC (BBC Tigrinya) on the development of education in Eritrean since independence (1991-2021) Available on Facebook: part 1 and part 2.

February 2023: Interview with BBC Tigrigna text (ፕረዚደንት ኢሳይያስ ክምልሶም ትጽቢት ዝግበረሉ ቀንዲ ዘቤታዊ ጉዳያት - BBC News ትግርኛ/ and radio - available on Facebook.