Maxwell African Scholars Union – Challenges to Citizenship Series: Authoritarianism in Africa

Join the Moynihan Institute’s Maxwell African Scholars Union for a virtual panel discussion on the rise of authoritarian leaders in Africa. Panelists will explore the contribution of Cold War geopolitical dynamics, the strategies and challenges of authoritarian leaders, the increased authority of security forces, and the factors that predict security force personnel’s disposition toward military involvement in government and toward authoritarianism.  

Panelists:

Dr. Sabrina Karim, Hardis Family Assistant Professor of Government, Cornell University

Dr. Sabrina Karim is the Hardis Family Assistant Professor in Government at Cornell University. She directs the Gender and Security Sector Lab and is the PI of the NSF CAREER award “The Domestic and International Politics of Global Police.”  Her research focuses on conflict and peace processes, particularly state building in the aftermath of civil war. Specifically, she studies international involvement in security assistance to post-conflict states, gender reforms in peacekeeping and domestic security sectors, and the relationship between gender and violence. Born and raised in Colorado, Sabrina received a Ph.D. from Emory University in 2016.

Augustine E. Ayuk, Professor of Political Science, Clayton State University

Ayuk obtained a Ph.D. in political science from Clark Atlanta University. His area of interest includes African politics, international relations, American government and politics, amd comparative politics. He was nominated twice as Teacher of the Year. He is editor of Football (Soccer): Origins, Contributions and Contradictions. He was a member of Cameroon’s Junior National Football (Soccer) selection before he traveled to the U.S.

Moderator:

Danielle Taana Smith, Director, Renée Crown University Honors Program; Professor, African American Studies; Professor, Sociology (by courtesy appointment) Syracuse University

Danielle Taana Smith is the director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, a professor of African American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of sociology (courtesy) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her interdisciplinary research areas include global migration, global development, and human rights and international law. She also engages in domestic policy issues with an overarching goal of improving the social and economic environment for all, especially those at the margins of our society.