Abel Barasa Atiti, a Kenyan national, joined the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) as a Research Fellow for Education for Sustainable Development in February 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. His Ph.D. thesis explored organizational learning and sustainability in a Kenya context using critical action research methodology. His research interests are in transformative learning for sustainability, critical action research, capacity development and organizational learning and change. He is particularly interested in critiquing assumptions, values and power relations that constrain social change and sustainability in society. At UNU-IAS, Abel undertakes policy-oriented and action research and capacity development activities relating to the Education for Sustainable Development Programme.

Prior to joining UNU-IAS, he was the Head of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). He also worked as a Quality Assurance Officer, Senior Curator and Environmental Education Officer at the same organization. His work at the NMK focused on enforcing quality management systems adherence within the framework of ISO 9001:2008 Standard. He coordinated performance management and contracting within a perspective of public sector reforms. His teaching background in science education, museum education and botanic garden education enabled Abel to widely implement environmental education programmes to schools and other groups in Kenya. He investigated interpretation and environmental education as reciprocally necessary aspects of enabling transformative learning and sustainability in schools. He also critically examined issues related to good governance, communication, staff motivation and identity to generate context specific understanding of organizational learning and sustainability. Abel has published articles in international conferences and peer reviewed journals.