I first interacted with trainees on ICTD’s Tax and Development Research course last September in Accra, Ghana. As a member of the ICTD comms team, I was invited to deliver sessions on research communications and dissemination strategies as part of the course’s final module. I remember meeting a vibrant group of tax and finance professionals, mostly from countries across Africa, who were eager to learn, share, and, most importantly, build lasting connections.
From that experience, I became intrigued by what this cohort of trainees – and the many others formed over a decade of running the Research on Tax and Development course – would go on to achieve in their careers, and how their paths might cross again. That’s how this new interview series began. Through it, we will showcase not only alumni stories, but also sit-downs with industry colleagues and partners, offering their personal perspective on research, tax, development and more. To kick things off, I am pleased to share the story of Seid Yimam.
After completing the 2018-19 ICTD Research on Tax and Development course, Seid Yimam, joined ICTD as a consultant. His research has focused on gender and tax, taxing the informal sector, tax administration and compliance particularly in Ethiopia. Aware of the existing gap in research and academia in developing countries, he plans to develop initiatives that drive evidence-based policymaking in public finance. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Sussex on a scholarship funded by ICTD. Seid talks about his journey with ICTD, his career progression and shares advice for those who are looking to work in the research and development field.
Stephanie: What encouraged you to apply to the ICTD Research on Tax and Development course?
Seid: I was already familiar with ICTD’s work as I had previously attended a seminar organised by the Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. So when I saw a call for applications for the course, I was automatically interested in applying. I was then fortunate enough to get accepted as this step changed the course of my career.
Stephanie: Why do you think the course changed your career?
Seid: Before joining the training programme, I was working in a completely different area of research and focusing on agriculture, development and nutrition. But the course opened for me the world of taxation and development. I can credit it for changing my perspective and research career as I eventually decided to switch focus to taxation and development.
Stephanie: What specifically attracted you then to the world of taxation?
Seid: First, I realised how important public finance and policy are to driving development in low-income countries. But also pragmatically, the field of agriculture and development is already saturated with professionals which is not the case for the tax and public finance world where most experts are from higher-income countries not low-income ones. I was able therefore through the training to identify this opportunity and make a calculated career move with the aim to contribute through my skills to the tax field.
Stephanie: What is one thing that stayed with you from the tax course?
Seid: Since I was already in the field of research before joining the programme, I was already familiar with the research methods and dissemination strategies.
But what I hadn’t realised is how important evidence from empirical research is especially for low-income countries like Ethiopia. For instance, while mobilising own resources to finance key social and development infrastructures, empirical evidence can shape state-citizen relationship, reforms and policies for equitable and fairer tax systems.
Stephanie: What would you say are the earned skills that you apply the most in your field of work?
Seid: I find myself using all the skills and literature from the programme in my day-to-day research activities. While I don’t refer to the material all the time, they have provided me with a foundation to be able to identify policy gaps, challenges and opportunities. They have also enabled me to judge when I should focus on the macro or micro aspects of taxation in my research.
In addition to these resources, the people who were providing the training were exceptional in many aspects. I was thrilled by their love for their profession, their energy, humbleness and engagement.
Stephanie: Were you able to stay in touch with any of the alumni either from your cohort or participants who joined the course in the following years?
Seid: Yes, we often talk about ongoing research or meet either at in person conferences or virtual events so that connection is still nurtured. I think leveraging this wide network of highly qualified professionals is very important. I’ve also worked with a fellow alumnus from my cohort on different research projects – namely studying informal sector compliance and gender and tax compliance in Ethiopia – and we were able to publish these studies as ICTD Working Papers.
Stephanie: Now that you’ve published several papers, can you talk more about the impact of your research?
Seid: As a researcher, you can provide the insights and recommendations but can’t control the impact as this largely depends on the consumer – in this case policymakers and revenue authorities. You can track however the number of views and downloads that a paper is getting and the conversations happening around a piece of research.
Stephanie: What is your plan for the next few years once you complete your PhD?
Seid: I want to work at the intersection of the academic and research fields. Ethiopia, the second most populated country in Africa, has no single institute that works on taxation and public policies, and only one university offers a course at a master’s level. This must change. I think more universities should offer programmes that focus on taxation because taxation is at the core of all development initiatives. Therefore, I want to develop initiatives towards that goal. In parallel, from a research perspective, most tax administrations in low-income countries pay little attention to evidence while drafting policies, prioritising politics. I want to work with revenue administrations, especially ones open to engage on that front to develop their own autonomous or semi-autonomous research and training centres to leverage the available data and state-of-the-art research tools to produce evidence that can shape and device policy making.
Stephanie: The tax course has just opened applications for its 2025/2026 edition, any tips for people wanting to apply?
Seid: For anyone interested in a career in the field of taxation, this course is for you! Don’t hesitate and apply now. The course is very comprehensive, covering wider aspects of taxation and development that I ever know. The modules focus on theories, empirical methods, and practical qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills. You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity!
