Biftu is dedicated to effecting positive and meaningful change in the greater community. She earned a BA Honours with Distinction in Criminology and her MA in Criminology and MSc in Health Sciences – which she completed simultaneously. This was the first combination of its type at Simon Fraser University, and as a pioneer of the program, Biftu aimed to contribute to the advancement of a new interdisciplinary approach. In fall 2023, Biftu completed her Doctorate in Critical Human Geography at York University.
Biftu commits to liaising between grassroots communities and local/national/international stakeholders concerning cross-border migration related to geographies of conflict. To this end, she applies not only her learned realities as a scholar and educator, but also draws upon the wisdom gained from the experiences of her lived realities in diasporic communities.
Biftu believes that academic theory and professional practice should inform each other in a reciprocal and iterative process. Her practice is oriented to the design of action-oriented research that informs policy-making as a way to transpose proactive and holistic solutions to social and economic inequalities.