Matthias Basedau

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau is a leading academic in African studies and conflict analysis. He serves as Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs and Professor at the University of Hamburg (§ 17 Professur). His career spans roles as Head of GIGA's Violence and Security Programme (2005–2015), Visiting Professor at PRIO, and Research Fellow at GIGA since 2002.

• Education: Political Science, Psychology, Sociology at Heidelberg University; PhD in 2001.
• Research Interests: Resource conflicts, religion and violent conflict, civil-military relations, political institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Recent Publications: Focus on oil sector governance, interreligious peace mechanisms, and foreign fighter mobilization.

His work addresses key challenges in African countries like Mali, Niger, Chad, and Botswana, with projects funded by DFG, Volkswagen Foundation, and BMZ. He actively contributes to policy debates through media interviews and academic lectures.