Institute for African Development
N’Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba
Professor, African and African Diaspora
Additional Information
Program
Role
- Faculty
- IAD Core Faculty
- IAD Advisory Council
Contact
Email: n.assie-lumumba@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-255-7839
Conference on African political economy honors Nicolas van de Walle

“Politics, Markets, and Governance in Africa: A conference in honor of Nicolas van de Walle,” set for May 8-9 in Warren Hall B75, is dedicated to the late Nicolas van de Walle (1957-2024), the Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Government in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), a leading African politics scholar. Conference presentations will focus on the core themes of African political economy, regimes, and modes of electoral and social participation and contestation.
“Politics, Markets, and Governance in Africa: A conference in honor of Nicolas van de Walle,” set for May 8-9 in Warren Hall B75, is dedicated to the late Nicolas van de Walle (1957-2024), the Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Government in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), a leading African politics scholar. Conference presentations will focus on the core themes of African political economy, regimes, and modes of electoral and social participation and contestation.
The conference is hosted by Cornell’s Institute for African Development, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies; the Department of Government (A&S); and the Center on Global Democracy in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy.
Additional Information
Topic
- Democratic Threats and Resilience
- Development, Law, and Economics
Tags
Program
African Integration within the Imperatives of Neo-liberal Globalism, Multipolarity, and the African Union Agenda 2063: can it be feasible?

Thursday, May 1, 2025 11:15am 115 Sibley Hall Tukumbi Lumumba Kasongo, Chair and Professor, Political Science, Wells College and IAD Regional Affiliate Scholar, Cornell
Speed Talks: Building Solidarity and Resistance

May 14, 2025
4:30 pm
Uris Hall, G08
Join the Einaudi Center and researchers from across campus for three-minute speed talks and community conversation on ways to organize and push back against fast-moving federal actions.
Speakers will jump off from interdisciplinary and international research to provide a fresh perspective on current U.S. public policy and the potential for effective collective action. Together we'll look at challenges faced and solutions found in a variety of academic fields and places around the world—to help us think through how to unify disparate interests and find allies to resist democratic backsliding.
The event features clusters of speed talks on related topics, with time for Q&A and conversation on each topic.
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Sponsors
This conversation is hosted by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, partnering with Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy's Governance and Local Development Institute and Data and Democracy Lab.
Find out how graduate and undergraduate students can get started at Einaudi.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Migrations Program
International Relations Minor Career Paths

April 29, 2025
4:00 pm
Rockefeller Hall, 105
Are you considering starting a career that utilizes regional expertise, language skills, or experience with foreign policy? Ever wondered what it's like to work in various capacities in governments, how to prepare yourself to be a successful applicant for jobs, or what work will let you utilize your knowledge of the world? Are you curious to learn more about current events, history, or the broader global implications of your major? Whether you are interested in a possible career in public service, academia, or the private sector, the international relations undergraduate minor can help you explore these opportunities.
Please join the Einaudi Center for International Studies for a discussion about career paths and opportunities at the State Department and in public service, featuring Cornell alumni who will share their insights:
Jason Oaks, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, U.S. Department of StateAngie Yucht Swenson, Founder and Principal of AYS Tutoring and Consulting, LLC
To attend virtually, register here.
This session is presented by the Einaudi Center and the faculty advisor of the international relations minor, Oumar Ba. The minor is open to all Cornell undergraduate students interested in learning about the politics, economics, history, languages, and cultures of the world.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Migrations Program
Politics, Markets, and Governance in Africa: A Conference in Honor of Nicolas van de Walle

May 9, 2025
9:00 am
Warren Hall, B75
Our cherished friend and colleague Nicolas van de Walle (1957-2024) shaped the field of political science and African politics in substantial and important ways. His insights into the politics of economic policymaking and “permanent crisis,” the driving forces of regime dynamics, electoral politics, and democratic transitions continue to underpin the foundations of comparative politics.
Beyond his written work, van de Walle’s legacy is firmly anchored in how he treated his fellow scholars—at home at Cornell and around the world. His kindness, generosity of spirit, intellectual curiosity, and joy in the ongoing process of learning from others. These are the characteristics that define him to so many who were lucky enough to know him and interact with him. He has served as a mentor to hundreds: offering support, incisive feedback, advice, and conversation to think through the politics of our time. We honor him as a brilliant scholar and a gentle soul who lifted others up and made our collective humanity richer.
This conference in his honor will focus on the core themes of African political economy, regimes, and modes of electoral and social participation and contestation.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Institute for African Development
International Fair

August 27, 2025
11:00 am
Uris Hall, Terrace
International Fair showcases Cornell's global opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Explore the fair and find out about international majors and minors, language study, study abroad, funding opportunities, global internships, Cornell Global Hubs, and more.
The International Fair is sponsored by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and Office of Global Learning (both part of Global Cornell) in partnership with the Language Resource Center.
Register on CampusGroups to receive a reminder. Registration is not required.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
Comparative Muslim Societies Program
East Asia Program
Southeast Asia Program
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute for African Development
Institute for European Studies
South Asia Program
Migrations Program
Egg Prices Continued to Rise in March

Chris Barrett, IAD/SEAP
Chris Barrett, professor of agricultural and development economics, discusses rising egg prices.
Additional Information
Kota Watanabe
Independent Scholar
Kota Watanabe is a diplomat-turned-political scientist studying contested state building and civil war in contemporary Myanmar, currently based in New York City. He earned his PhD in Development Studies from SOAS University of London in February 2025.
Additional Information
Program
Role
- Postdoc
- IAD Core Faculty
- SEAP Faculty Associate in Research
Contact
Email: 683832@soas.ac.uk
Another Raw Pet Food Recall Is Tied to Illness, Death in Cats

Jarra Jagne, IAD
Dr. Jarra Jagne, a veterinary expert at Cornell University, said pet owners should avoid feeding their animals unpasteurized milk or raw pet food because of the risk of bird flu as well as other germs such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.