Oxford Fellowship Recognizes Prof. Bangura’s Contributions

Sierra Leonean scholar, Associate Professor Ibrahim Bangura of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, has been awarded the 2024/2025 Africa Oxford Visiting Fellowship Award. This esteemed 12-month fellowship provides exceptional African scholars with the opportunity to enhance their research profiles and build international networks in collaboration with Oxford-based scholars.

Prof. Bangura’s receipt of the Oxford Fellowship follows his appointment as an Associate Professor by the University of Sierra Leone in 2022, in recognition of his significant contributions to research. A highly respected academic, he is known for his extensive publications with reputable publishers, including Routledge and Zed Books. With over 50 articles published in respected journals, Prof. Bangura actively mentors young African scholars through initiatives like the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA).

An unassuming academic and policy expert, Prof. Bangura has spent the last eighteen years advising governments, development partners, and civil society organizations across four continents and in over 40 countries. As a Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) Expert, he has evaluated more than 100 European Union (EU)-funded projects and programs focusing on peacebuilding, human rights, governance, and democracy in over 30 African countries. His recent missions include assessing EU funding for the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission.

In the field of security and justice, Prof. Bangura has distinguished himself by offering technical advice and training on the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants in several countries, including Colombia, South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia, and Liberia.

Prof. Bangura also lectures at several prestigious institutions, including the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana, the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) in Sweden, the Barcelona International Peace Centre (BIPC) in Spain, and Transition International in the Netherlands.

The highly competitive Oxford Fellowship not only underscores Prof. Bangura’s commendable intellectual abilities but also highlights the wealth of talent emerging from the University of Sierra Leone. During his fellowship, he will explore the compelling subjects of “Women, Social Movements, Popular Arts, and the Quest for Democracy in Africa,” hosted by the Oxford Department of International Development. His research will examine the burgeoning role of women in shaping social movements as the continent navigates the challenges of democratic mobilization against the forces of autocracy. This project builds on his previous work, “Youth-Led Social Movements and Peacebuilding in Africa,” published by Routledge in 2022.

Prof. Bangura’s work not only contributes to academic discourse but also has practical implications for policy and development in Africa, emphasizing the importance of inclusive approaches in the pursuit of democracy and peace.