Thabani Mutambasere

Thabani Mutambasere serves as Lecturer in African Studies and International Development at the Centre of African Studies within the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science. He concurrently holds roles as Programme Co-Director for the MSc International Development (Online Learning), RACE.ED Steering Committee member, and Co-Convenor of both the Centre's Decolonising Working Group and the University-wide Citizens and Migration Research Network.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in International Development, University of Sussex
• MSc in Development Studies, SOAS, University of London
• PG Diploma in Development Studies, National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe
• BSocSc in Politics, Public Policy and Administration, University of Cape Town

Dr. Mutambasere's research investigates African diasporas' non-economic contributions to home countries through political mobilization and humanitarianism, with deep focus on Zimbabwean communities. His work bridges migration studies, food security analysis considering cultural practices, and displacement responses examining social protection integration. He critically explores transnational identity formation, religious humanitarianism, and decolonial approaches to development.

His 12 publications from 2021-2025 reveal consistent thematic concentration on diaspora agency, displacement solutions, and critical development paradigms. Key trends include intersectional analysis of migrant food insecurity, decolonial frameworks for diaspora activism, and policy innovations connecting humanitarian aid with long-term social protection systems—primarily through Zimbabwean diaspora case studies in the UK.

Dr. Mutambasere supervises two PhD candidates: Tosin Durodola researching Liberian refugee status cessation in Nigeria, and Sarah Pajeau examining Rohingya identity negotiations in US/Ireland contexts. He maintains active editorial roles with Third World Quarterly, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, and African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal.

Based at Edinburgh's Chrystal Macmillan Building, he contributes to the Centre of African Studies' research ecosystem while co-leading university networks addressing migration governance and decolonial scholarship.