Nicholas Sambanis

Nicholas Sambanis is the Kalsi Family Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He has held academic positions at Yale (2001-2016) and the University of Pennsylvania (2016-2023), with prior experience at the World Bank's Development Economics Research Group (1999-2001). His research focuses on civil wars, ethnic conflict, migration politics, and identity dynamics. He directs the Identity & Conflict Lab, studying inter-group conflicts both violent and non-violent.

His work integrates theories from international relations, comparative politics, and political psychology to analyze how social identities influence behavior and conflict outcomes. Current research emphasizes native-immigrant conflict mitigation strategies. Notable publications include Understanding Civil War (volumes 1 & 2) and Native Bias: Overcoming Discrimination against Immigrants.

He has authored influential works on UN peace operations and the economic impacts of conflict. His recent article (2024) uses experimental methods to examine citizenship norms and immigrant-native tensions in Europe.