Semere Solomon is a senior international development expert, author, and researcher. His 35-year career has spanned the United Nations, USAID, and the nascent Eritrean government. Semere's career path was unconventional: as a young man, he fought with the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) for independence. After independence, he served as a senior official in the Ministry of Education, later earning a postgraduate diploma in educational planning and a master's degree in sustainable development and international diplomacy. He is the author of Eritrea's Hard-won Independence and Unmet Expectations and Renewing the Promise: A New Vision for Eritrea.