Dmitri van den Bersselaar

Professor Dmitri van den Bersselaar serves as Director of the Institute for African Studies at Leipzig University since October 2017. A social and economic historian specializing in West Africa (Ghana/Nigeria) during 19th-20th centuries, he explores multinational corporations' impact on African labor, knowledge production histories, and postcolonial identity formation.

• Current research focuses: Multinational corporate impacts on African labor, knowledge economy employability, colonial-modern identity dynamics
• Teaches BA/MA courses: 'Introduction to African Studies', 'African Political Economy', 'Theory from the South'
• Active in projects: ACESS (2025-2029) with multiple faculties; Recalibrating Afrikanistik (2019-2026) with VW Foundation
• Key collaborations: University of Ibadan partnership since 2019

Scientific recognition: Received ASA Service Award (2019) from African Studies Association (USA). His recent publications examine quadruple helix development models, postcolonial aviation history, and resource conflict frameworks.