Belay Kassa holds a PhD degree in Applied Economics from the Social Sciences University of Grenoble II, France. He also holds Masters’ Degree in Development Economics from the same University. He obtained another Masters’ Degree in Agricultural Development from Université Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne, France, a post-graduate diploma in Econometrics from Social Sciences University of Lyon II, France and a B.Sc. Degree in Agricultural Economics from the Alemaya College of Agriculture (Addis Ababa University).

He received several awards and recognitions including Chancellor's Gold Medal for best graduate in the Faculty of Agriculture and participation in the International Visitors’ Program organized by the United States Department of State. His areas of interest include Development Economics, Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, Human Resources Development, Higher Education and African Development and Integration.

He has been a Professor of Agricultural Economics at Haramaya University since March 2005. He has been serving at various senior academic/research management positions both nationally & internationally. He was the Registrar, Academic and Research Vice President & President of Haramaya University. He also served as Deputy Chief of Party of the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development project, USAID funded project.  In addition, he had been the Economic Justice Policy & Research Coordinator at Oxfam America in its Horn of Africa Regional Office. He had also been serving as Acting Rector of the Pan African University (a flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063) between April 2014 and August 2021. He served on several University statutory bodies (including as a member of Administrative Board of Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Jijiga and Wolkite universities).

He has been involved in various research projects & impact assessment studies in the areas of rural development, agricultural economics, agricultural advisory services, climate change, agricultural research system and development commissioned by national and international organizations. He authored and co-authored over 130 journal articles, book chapters, books, research reports. He is a member of several national and international learned societies. He has also been serving as supervisor and co-supervisor to postgraduate students. He has so far supervised to graduation 18 PhD and 38 MSc students. He has been teaching various courses to undergraduate and post-graduate students (MSc. and PhD). He has also been serving as PhD and MSc. Examining Committee Member in Ghent University, Wageningen University, and the University of South Africa.