Dr Thabani Mutambasere

I am a Lecturer in African Studies and International Development at the Centre of African Studies. My research interests include but are not limited to African diasporas, particularly how they contribute to their countries of origin via non-economic routes such as politics, development (charity), and humanitarianism.

Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh, I worked on an ESRC/AHRC-funded project that sought to adopt an interdisciplinary perspective on food security to, firstly, further understand the role played by mobility and migration and, secondly, to better account for the influence of food norms and practices, or food cultures.

I have also done work on displacement and social protection focussing specifically on the humanitarian-development nexus and how we can expand the inclusion of displaced people in social protection programmes or systems. Additionally, I have worked on projects investigating diaspora humanitarianism with a focus on the African diaspora.

I also spent a few years working as a practitioner in the international development sector specifically on governance and civic education.