Eric Komlavi Hahonou

Eric Komlavi Hahonou is an Associate Professor in International Development Studies at the University of Roskilde, Denmark, affiliated with the Department of Social Sciences and Business and the Socio-Economic Research Centre. His research focuses on political culture, municipal governance, and decentralization processes in West Africa, particularly in Benin, Mali, and Niger. He is a core member of LASDEL (Laboratory for the Study and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development), a transnational research institution.

Education:

• PhD in Social Anthropology and Ethnology, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (2006)
• Master in Social Sciences (History, Anthropology, Sociology), Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (2000)
• Master in Environmental Economy, Université Paris I-Panthéon-Sorbonne (1990)

Research Interests: Governance, political decentralization, health systems, migration policies, and the intersection of ethnicity and citizenship in post-slavery societies. His work combines historical, anthropological, and qualitative sociological methods, often involving collaborative field research.

Key Projects:

• "Political Culture and Municipal Governance" (comparative study in West Africa)
• "STRESS": Displacement governance in Sahelian peri-urban settings
• "Media, Security Crises and Youth in West Africa"

Teaching: Courses in Development Studies, Global Studies, and French Business Management. He also leads workshops at LASDEL and institutions like EHESS (France) and the University of Parakou (Benin).

Labs/Teams: LASDEL, where he contributes to comparative research on local governance, health systems, and state reforms. He co-edits LASDEL's working papers and supports capacity-building for African researchers.