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Ayokunu Adedokun, PhD.

Assistant Professor of Public Policy & International Development

Chair of the Programme Council & Academic Advisor

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA)/ Leiden University College (LUC) Leiden University, The Netherlands

Meet Dr. Ayo

I am a political scientist and international development specialist who studies global conflict, peacebuilding, democracy, corruption, and anti-corruption policies. I also provide advice to governments and international organisations on how to promote peacebuilding and development in countries emerging from civil wars. At the moment, I am an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and International Development at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

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Education

I have a PhD in public policy and governance from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Before that, I completed a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in international development studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom as a Clarendon Scholar. Prior to that, I received a bachelor’s degree (First Class Honours) in political science from the University of Lagos in Nigeria as a Chancellor Scholar. I am strongly committed to professional development and lifelong learning.

Awards, Grants & Fellowships

  1. Leiden University Best Teacher of the Year Award

  2. Top 4 Best Teachers in the Netherlands

  3. Full doctoral scholarship by United Nations at Maastricht University

  4. World Bank Group Fellowship Recipient  

  5. Oxford University Clarendon Scholarship Recipient

  6. University of Lagos Chancellor’s Prize

Teaching

I am a passionate and enthusiastic educator. So, teaching for me is more than just a profession. Teaching is more than a paycheck or job security. I consider teaching to be my calling and the classroom as my superpower. My teaching philosophy is based on the premise that learning is more effective and productive when students are actively engaged in the process of meaning-making and knowledge construction rather than passively receiving information. So, I engage my students as co-creators of knowledge.

Research Interests & Latest Publications

The central research questions that I am most passionate about are: Why are some societies violent, unequal, and poor while others are peaceful, inclusive and prosperous? What can be done to promote sustainable peace and shared prosperity in countries emerging from civil wars? My research involves a blend of qualitative interviews, process tracing, surveys, and statistical analysis, with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa. I am also passionately engaged with research in education innovation, including a growing interest on the following themes: students’ well‐being, soft skills, and the changing nature of work in the 21st century.

  1. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2024). "The Interwoven Threads of African Challenges: Food, Climate, and Poverty Insecurity." Published by The OPEC Fund for International. Click here to download.

  2. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2023). "Celebrating 63 Years of Nigeria’s Independence: Achievements & Challenges." Published via Medium. Click here to read.

  3. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2021); ‘Nigeria Has Democracy But Not Development. How To Fix It’. Book Review Published by The Conversation. Click here to download.

  4. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2020); ‘Black Voices Matter’: Breathing New Life into the Global Fight Against Racism. Commentary. Published by the United Nations University  Blog. Click here to download

  5. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2019), “Transition from Civil War to Peace: The Role of the United Nations and International Community in Mozambique.” Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies. Click here to download

  6. Broich, Tobias., Szirmai, Adam., Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2019), “Chinese and Western Development Approaches in Africa: Implications for the SDGs.” In Ramutsindela, M., and Mickler, D. (eds.), Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. Click here to download  

  7. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2017), “Emerging Challenges to Long-term Peace and Security in Mozambique.” The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, 37-53. Click here to download  

  8. Adedokun, Ayokunu. (2017), “Post-conflict Peacebuilding: A Critical Survey of the Literature and Avenues for Future Research.” UNU-MERIT Working Paper. Click here to download

Blog

Blogging is an excellent way of sharing my research findings to new audiences or contributing to public policy debate or events. I do not run a personal blog. However, I have contributed to blogs several times.  My recent posts have been included in the blog section.

© Ayokunu Adedokun, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

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