Dr Manu Lekunze

Biography

Dr Manu Lekunze is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Aberdeen. Manu studies the security of states in the continually changing domestic, regional, and international environments. His research has examined questions in maritime strategy, insurgency, intelligence, defence policy, political economy and complexity science. He has published two books, several peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters.

Dr Manu Lekunze convenes ‘Conversations on African Security’, an ongoing seminar series which brings together leading African security experts and practitioners to discuss topical issues in African security. In addition to seminars in the UK, Conversations on African Security held seminars in Abuja, Nigeria, Accra, Ghana, and Bamako, Mali.

Manu often acts as an International Security Analyst, and has extensive experience providing security analysis to local, national, and international print and broadcast media, including the BBC, Al-Jazeera English, TRT World and CGTN.

Research Overview

Research Interests:

• International Security
• Small War Theory
• Africa and the Great Powers (US, China, Russia)
• UK-Africa Relations
• Insecurity in the Sahel

Dr Manu Lekunze is interested in supervising PhD projects with questions related to IR theory, international security, intelligence, irregular warfare, maritime strategy, and insecurity in the Sahel.

Current Research

Nelson Mandela once said, ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Manu’s current research combines his experience as an educator and his interest in security to seek ways to use education to contribute to peace, security, and prosperity. The project will produce teaching materials to contribute to Citizenship Education that fosters peaceful co-existence and political order in security-challenged societies in the Global South.

Teaching Responsibilities

Maritime Security

African Security

Introduction to International Relations