Julia Gallagher

Julia Gallagher is Professor of African Politics and Development at King's College London's School of Global Affairs, having previously held positions at SOAS and Royal Holloway. Her ERC-funded research examines state-building through architecture across five African nations.

Her interdisciplinary research combines political theory, aesthetics, and psychoanalysis to explore how citizens conceptualize states. Current projects focus on urban politics and the relationship between built environments and political expression.

Professor Gallagher has served as specialist advisor to the House of Lords Inquiry on UK-Africa relations and holds editorial roles with African Affairs and Africa Spectrum.

She currently supervises doctoral candidates researching African political development and has extensive PhD supervision experience spanning multiple institutions.