معرفی
Professor Justin Willis is a distinguished historian specializing in Modern African History at Durham University's Department of History, where he holds the rank of Professor. His research focuses on identity, authority, and social change in eastern Africa over the past two centuries, with particular expertise in electoral history, saving and lending systems, and the political dynamics of Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan.
His research interests span Modern African History, Electoral History, Social Change in Eastern Africa, History of Saving and Lending in Africa, Sudan History, and Kenyan Politics. Willis has led major projects including an ESRC-funded comparative history of elections in Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, and collaborative research on Uganda's post-Amin transition. His current work examines the history of Savings and Credit Cooperatives in Kenya since the 1940s, exploring how financial practices shape social futures.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on electoral processes across Africa, with increasing attention to material culture of voting, financial dimensions of elections, and the intersection of religion with political participation. His work demonstrates methodological innovation through comparative frameworks and deep archival engagement with East African contexts.
Awarded the Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Academiques in 2000 for academic excellence, Willis has received significant research funding including ESRC grants for major comparative electoral studies.
As a dedicated supervisor, Willis currently guides doctoral research on politics and Islam on the Kenya coast, banking history in Sudan, ethnicity in northern Uganda, and women's testimonies regarding the Rwanda genocide. His collaborative projects frequently involve Ugandan and French scholars, and he serves as co-editor of The Sudan Handbook.
