Before joining RegNet, Ataklti was a lecturer and researcher in public policy at Mekelle University in Ethiopia.

He has research, teaching, and consulting experience in the areas of migration and displacement, gender, and social impact assessment.

He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in South Korea. His research at Regnet will investigate the governance of migration in selected countries in the Horn of Africa and, more specifically, the interactions of governance actors in their endeavors to achieve safe, regular, and responsible migration.