Welcome!

My name is Olajumoke Ayandele, but everyone calls me Dr. Jumo! I am an interdisciplinary social scientist, who specializes in African politics, international conflict, and security studies, with over ten years of policy and academic research developed from my graduate coursework, professional work experience, and extensive field research conducted in Africa and Europe.

I am currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Transnational Security at NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs (CGA) and was recently selected as a Public Voices Fellow—a collaboration between The OpEd Project and NYU's Office of the Provost & Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation. I also serve on the Advisory Board of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Prior to assuming my current role at NYU, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NYU's Center for the study of Africa and the African Diaspora (CSAAD) and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Affairs.

I am passionate about understanding the dynamic relationship and intersection between African governance, human development, and political stability, and have won numerous awards and grants to support my work from organizations including the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the African Union (AU), among others. I was also recently named one of The Africa Report’s Ten African Scholars to Watch in 2025 for my research on security governance in Africa.

I hold a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, an M.P.A. in International Development Policy and Management and a B.A. in Economics, both from New York University.