LAMIN KEITA, Ph.D.
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate Fellow for Democracy Initiative at the Keough School of Global Affairs and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. My research addresses the intersection of comparative political violence, national & international security, and democratization in Africa, Middle East and Beyond. I explore the complex relationships between informal and formal institutions, community radicalization, state-building, regime changes, political economy, democratic erosion, elections, and the dynamics of Westphalian and Weberian states—particularly in settler colonial and postcolonial contexts.
My first upcoming book, Resisting Violence: Religious Communities and States in West Africa" (Cambridge University Press) examines the varying linkages of the religious communities and and the governing state capacity in shaping the outcome of violent armed jihadism. My articles have been published in Canadian Journal of African Studies and other journals such as Security Studies.
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My research has won awards such as the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA), Social Science Research Council (SSRC)-International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF), Buffet Institute for Global Studies (War & Society), Panofsky award for Program of African Studies, and other awards from the department of Political Science at Northwestern University.
As an educator, I emphasize the important connections between Africa, the Middle East, and global perspectives. This approach broadens the horizons of my students and communities, empowering them to engage with larger thematic projects beyond their comfort zones. My research and teaching aim to help students who may not yet experience the global affairs and see these issues through a broader informed lens. My teaching philosophy aligns with the motto: “Expand Minds & Change the World!”
Before joining the University of Notre Dame as Postdoctoral Fellow, I received my Ph.D. from Northwestern University and my BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
