David Luke

David Luke is a Professor in Practice and Strategic Director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (LSE) and an Extraordinary Professor at North-West University (South Africa). He specializes in African trade policy and negotiations, with decades of experience in policy advisory services, research management, and capacity building for governments and the private sector. His career includes roles at the African Union, UNDP, and UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), where he contributed to foundational work on the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

Education: PhD in African Political Economy from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), MSc and BSc from LSE.

Research focuses on trade in development contexts, trade inclusion, and sustainability linkages. Recent work addresses green new deals, critical minerals strategies, EU-Africa trade harmonization, and climate policy impacts on African economies. He advises on global trade governance and sits on the board of TradeMark Africa.