William F.S. Miles

William F.S. Miles is a Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities. He holds a PhD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (1983). A five-time Fulbright awardee, his research focuses on international development, African borderlands, Jewish communities in Africa, and postcolonial governance. He teaches courses on comparative politics, religion, and political development.

• Education: PhD, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1983
• Key Research: African border dynamics, diasporic communities, foreign aid effectiveness
• Professional Languages: Fluent in French, Hausa, Bislama; conversational in Creole/Kreol and Hebrew

His research interests include postcolonial border legacies, Jewish-African cultural intersections, and the micropolitics of development aid. He has conducted fieldwork in Niger, Nigeria, Vanuatu, and Martinique.

Notable awards include the Fulbright Global Scholar Award (2021-2023), National Jewish Book Award recognition, and the Stotsky Professorship. He has authored twelve books and numerous articles on topics like diaspora policies, Islamic governance, and U.S. foreign aid strategies.

• Grants: Over 20 competitive grants including National Endowment for the Humanities, American Philosophical Society
• Public Engagement: NPR commentator, public radio essays, and community development projects like African Borderlands Community Development (ABCD)

Led research initiatives on diaspora repatriation, Holocaust consciousness in Africa, and Francophone-Sephardic communities in Montreal. Active in policy dialogue through symposia like the Aimé Césaire Memorial Symposium.