Presenter: Nic Cheeseman (Univ. of Birmingham)

SNUAC’s Asia-Africa Center has been hosting a series of special lectures featuring Africa experts from around the world since 2022, with the aim of promoting public understanding of Africa and fostering academic exchange. On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the 10th Africa Special Lecture will be delivered by Professor Nic Cheeseman from the University of Birmingham, UK. The upcoming lecture, titled “Is African Democracy Resilient?”, will offer an in-depth exploration of this timely subject.

Professor Cheeseman is currently conducting research with Professor Marie-Eve Desrosiers of the University of Ottawa, focusing on democratic backsliding in Africa. In this lecture, he will share key insights from this research, with a particular focus on urbanization and political change in major African countries, using Kenya as a central case study. Through an analysis of the resilience and challenges facing African democracies, the lecture is expected to provide attendees with a comprehensive diagnosis of contemporary African politics and a perspective on its future trajectories. Participants will be invited to critically reflect on the structural conditions and potential for change in African democracies, drawing comparisons with political contexts in other regions.

About the Speaker
Professor Nic Cheeseman holds the position of Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, where he also serves as Director of the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR). He previously served as Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. Recognized for his outstanding scholarly contributions, he has received the Joni Lovenduski Prize from the UK Political Studies Association and an award for Outstanding International Impact from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Professor Cheeseman has authored or edited more than ten books, including How to Rig an Election (2018), which was named one of The Spectator’s Books of the Year. He is a prominent commentator on democracy, elections, and international affairs, and his analyses have appeared in The Economist, Le Monde, Financial Times, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The New York Times, BBC, and The Africa Report.