Zubairu Wai

Last updated
Zubairu Wai
OccupationAuthor
Education University of Sierra Leone
Notable awardsAssociation of Third World Studies (ATWS) Toyin Falola Book Award 2013

Zubairu Wai is a Sierra-Leonean author. [1] [2] He is associate professor of Political Science and Global Development Studies at University of Toronto Scarborough. [1] [3] [4] In 2013, he received the Association of Third World Studies (ATWS) Toyin Falola best book award. [5] He is a member of Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective(AISC). [6]

Contents

Education

Zubairu attended and graduated with BA (Hons) degree in history from University of Sierra Leone. [1] Taking up a scholarship at International University of Japan, he came top of his class in the Master's program in International Relations and would be awarded with High Distinction. Under the supervision of Professor Ananya Mukherjee Reed at York University, Zubairu completed his doctoral thesis, Understanding Contemporary Conflicts in Africa: The Sierra-Leone Civil War and it's Challenge to Dominant Representations of African Conflicts in 2010. This thesis was fundamental to his selection for Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Susan Mann (Canadian historian) Dissertation Scholarship. [2]

Career

Zubairu has authored books known to deal with decolonization in Africa, Pan-Africanism, Knowledge production, Coloniality and Empire. [7] [8]

He has delivered a keynote speech at Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa African fellowships for Research in Indigenous and Alternative Knowledge conference. [9] In his writings, Africa is centered in international relations. [8]

His book Epistemologies of African Conflicts: Violence, Evolutionism, and the War in Sierra-Leone (2012) won the Association of Third World Studies (ATWS) Toyin Falola Book Award in 2013. [5]

In honor of V. Y. Mudimbe, Zubairu delivered a tribute extolling the intellectual legacy of Mudimbe on African studies scholarship. [10] The tribute was convened by Codesria.

Views

As a member of Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective, an organization of scholars with a mission to resist imperialism, Zubairu has demonstrated solidarity towards Palestine. [11] He co-edited the book, The Sage Handbook on Peace and Conflict Studies (2025). [12]

Along with other African intellectuals, Zubairu demanded for dialogue and conflict resolution between the Ethiopian government and the National regional government of Tigray. [13] [14]

Personal life

Wai has been deeply influenced by reggae icon, Peter Tosh for championing the cause of anti-oppression and justice. [15]

Selected books

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vanguard, The Patriotic (2014-01-16). "Sierra Leonean Academic Excels in Canada". The Patriotic Vanguard. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  2. 1 2 Vanguard, The Patriotic (2007-04-23). "Vanguard Features Editor Bags Prestigious Scholarship". The Patriotic Vanguard. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  3. "Zubairu Wai". GA Sciences. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  4. "Sierra Leoneans demand change in political approach | Politico SL". www.politicosl.com. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  5. 1 2 "Congratulation Dr. Zubairu Wai! The Winner of The Association of Third World Scholars' (ATWS) for the best book on Africa published in 2012-2013". Lakehead University. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  6. "Zubairu Wai". anti-imperialists.com. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  7. Wai, Zubairu (2012-03-01). "Neo-patrimonialism and the discourse of state failure in Africa". Review of African Political Economy. 39 (131). doi: 10.1080/03056244.2012.658719 . ISSN   0305-6244.
  8. 1 2 Iñiguez de Heredia, Marta; Wai, Zubairu, eds. (2018). Recentering Africa in International Relations. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-67510-7. ISBN   978-3-319-67509-1.
  9. Zubairu Wai (May 2025). "Indigenous African Knowledge and the Challenge of Epistemic Translation". CODESRIA Bulletin. No. 6. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  10. Wai, Zubairu (May 2025). "V. Y. Mudimbe: A Tribute". CODESRIA Bulletin. No. 4. ISSN   0850-8712.
  11. "Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective". anti-imperialists.com. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  12. Hallward, Maia Carter; Kim, Ji Eun; Mouly, Cécile; Seidel, Timothy; Wai, Zubairu (2025-06-07). The Sage Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies. SAGE Publications. ISBN   978-1-0362-0238-5.
  13. "African intellectuals call for urgent action in Ethiopia". University World News. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  14. "An open call by African intellectuals for urgent action on Ethiopia". African Arguments. 2021-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  15. "Remembering the Bush Doctor". The Patriotic Vanguard. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2025-08-24.