Akinyemi Oyawale

Akin Oyawale is an Assistant Professor in International Security at the University of Warwick, serving as Course Director for the MA in International Relations and Module Convener for PO926: Theories and Issues in International Relations. He holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia (UEA), alongside degrees from the University of Ibadan and University of Sussex. A recipient of multiple teaching excellence awards including the ISA's Deborah Gerner Award (2025) and BISA Early Career Prize (2024), his pedagogical approach emphasizes inclusivity through the 'Nobody Left Behind' philosophy, prioritizing student agency and diverse lived experiences.

• Education: B.A. Politics/Psychology (University of Ibadan), M.A. International Security (University of Sussex), PhD Politics (UEA)

Research focuses on critical interrogations of International Relations theory, particularly its raced/gendered dimensions, and examines security from 'bottom-up' perspectives. Key areas include Boko Haram's impact on Nigerian citizens, counterterrorism policies, vernacular security frameworks, and postcolonial critiques of security governance. His monograph project analyzes the state-Boko Haram interaction in Northeast Nigeria. Active in PhD supervision on topics relating to security, extremism, and critical approaches.

Awards reflect both pedagogical innovation and scholarly contributions, including the Warwick Teaching Excellence Award (2023) and Nigeria's President's NYSC Award (2012). Public engagement includes organizing Abuja's Gender/Insecurity Policy Roundtable and co-editing Special Issues on Vernacular Security Studies for Security Dialogue (2025).

Teaching and research are underpinned by commitments to decolonizing knowledge production, intersectional analysis, and amplifying Global South perspectives in IR. Current projects explore racial biopolitics in Sahel resilience policies and the political economy of counterterrorism in Nigeria.