معرفی
Professor Sefa Awaworyi Churchill is a distinguished academic at RMIT University, serving as Professor in the School of Economics, Finance & Marketing. He holds dual leadership roles as Co-Director of the RMIT Centre for African Engagement (since January 2025) and Director of the Centre for International Development (since 2019). His international recognition stems from interdisciplinary research that advances sustainable development goals through applied economics.
- Doctorate in Economics from Monash University
- Multiple Master's degrees: Educational Leadership (Melbourne), Public Health (UNSW), Construction Management (Melbourne), Health Leadership and Management (UNSW), Business and Financial Economics (Greenwich, UK)
- BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from KNUST, Ghana
Professor Churchill's research spans development economics, energy and environmental economics, health economics, and behavioral economics. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 160 publications in top-tier journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Research Policy, Energy Economics, and World Development. His work demonstrates how environmental factors, socioeconomic conditions, and policy interventions affect individual behavior and economic outcomes. Notably, he has pioneered research on temperature shocks and their multifaceted impacts on obesity, homeownership, and financial behavior.
His publication record reveals strong thematic trends in the intersection of climate change and economic behavior, with particular focus on how temperature variations affect health outcomes, housing decisions, and financial wellbeing. Recent work increasingly examines the mediating roles of social capital, locus of control, and neighborhood characteristics in these relationships.
- Stanford/Elsevier top-cited researcher (2024)
- Ranked in top 2% of researchers worldwide
- Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellow
- Endeavour Fellowship Award recipient
- Named among Australia's top 40 young researchers (The Australian, 2020-2021)
- Top 5 economist in Australia over the last decade (RePEc)
Professor Churchill has secured over $5.6 million in competitive research funding from prestigious sources including the ARC, DFAT, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, and Plan International. His research actively informs policy through collaborations with the United Nations, Australian and Indian Governments, and the Asian Development Bank. As an award-winning educator, he supervises Masters and PhD students while serving as Associate Editor for Energy Economics and Energy Research and Social Science, two leading field journals.
His research centers operate as interdisciplinary hubs connecting academic expertise with policy implementation, particularly through the Centre for International Development and Centre for African Engagement, which facilitate knowledge exchange between Australia and global development contexts.
