Dr Manu Lekunze

Biography

Dr Manu Lekunze is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Aberdeen. He has published three books, several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on subjects such as maritime strategy, intelligence, insurgency, the economics of security, complex adaptive systems, defence, and foreign policy. Ongoing research examines great power competition between Russia, China, and the United States in or related to Africa and the Middle East. The study contributes to IR theory on how great powers relate with minor/small powers in the global south.

Dr Lekunze organises Conversations on African Security, which convenes leading African security experts and practitioners to discuss African security issues. In addition to the UK, seminars were held in Abuja, Nigeria, Accra, Ghana, and Bamako, Mali. In October 2024, Conversations on African Security hosted Ghana’s Minister for National Security.

Dr Lekunze translates expertise on security dynamics in Africa and the Middle East into practical insight for decision-makers navigating policy, investment, security and strategic risk in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. His analysis has appeared on the BBC, CNN, Time Magazine, Al Jazeera, TRT World, and CGTN, as well as several local, national, and international print and broadcast media outlets globally.

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Research Overview

• International relations theory
• International security
• Nationalism
• War and Conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

Current Research

My current research examines great power competition between Russia, China, and the United States in or related to Africa and the Middle East. The research aims to contribute to IR theory on how great powers relate with small powers. It will further develop strategic realism, focusing on small powers, which are the majority of states in the world.

I maintain an ongoing commitment to analysing security in Africa and the Middle East, as well as UK grand strategy in these regions.

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Past Research

My recent research examined the relationship between education with national security in Nigeria and Cameroon. The research has yielded recommendations for innovative policies on how to use formal education systems and content to contribute to peace, security, and prosperity. It has also developed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses to teach stakeholders how to utilise educational content and systems in promoting peaceful coexistence and political stability in security-challenged societies.

Previously, my research adapted strategic realism to make it applicable to the analysis of the security (survival) of small powers in the Global South, which often receive less attention in core IR theories. It leveraged Nigeria’s experience in domestic, regional, and international politics to provide evidence that contributes to a version of strategic realism more suitable for analysing all types of powers across various geographies and at multiple levels of analysis. This theoretical work built on earlier work, which used complexity theory to examine Cameroon’s security. Insights from complexity science enabled the interpretation and adaptation of existing structural realist theories, allowing me to develop my version of strategic realism.

Teaching Responsibilities

Maritime Security

African Security

Introduction to International Relations