PSTC Research Associate
Background
Patricia Agupusi is a Research Fellow at Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC), Brown University USA. She was previously a Visiting Scholar and a Fellow at Watson Institute of International Affairs. She obtained her PhD in International Development from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK where she also worked as a tutor and researcher. With a background in Philosophy, she also has an MA in International Economics and Trade from London. She has years of practical experience working for NGOs and in Public Service in different capacities. Her research and teaching interests straddle the political economy of inequality, conflict, and development. She carried out major research work on key policies of post-apartheid South Africa and their impact on the transformation process in the context of reducing poverty and inequality in the post-apartheid South Africa. In 2012, she worked with Varshney Ashutosh on a project that studies variations of ethno-religious conflicts in Northern Nigeria.
Patricia’s current research focuses on the political economy of development in Africa and comparative studies. She is concluding a book as a principal author with Chuks Okereke, due for publication in June 2013 by Routledge Publishing. The book provides a critical analysis of the so-called ‘home-grown’ development initiatives in Africa which started in the 1990s and which has been widely perceived as alternatives to the externally driven development model. Focusing on Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, the book takes a qualitative and critical comparative approach to offer the first ever in-depth analysis of local development programs. She is also currently working on conflicts, governance and institutions in Africa. One of her recent works, with Glenn Loury; is a comparative study of USA and South Africa that examines the challenges of ‘transition problems’ in both countries.
Projects
Issue of identity in post-conflicts Rwanda Institutions
Governance and underdevelopment in Africa
Debating China in Africa and the blame game: What is the role of African leaders?