He received his B.A. from the International University of Africa, in Sudan (1994), and his Masters of Human Science (Arabic as a Second Language) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (1999). He received his second Masters of Educational Leadership and Management (2004); and his PhD (2011) from La Trobe La Trobe University. He is the founder and first president of Australian Somali Youth Association, and has published numerous articles in Australian and international journals and newspapers including The Age. Currently, he works as a research assistant at the University of Melbourne and as an executive member of Somali-Australian Friendship Association (SAFA).