Cheriesse Bema-Kwakye is a Researcher at the African Leadership Centre, with active research projects across the Dickson Poon School of Law and the Department of International Development at King's.

With a background in human geography and critical development studies, her research critically explores the political economy dimensions of energy transitions, resource governance, and climate policy, law, and diplomacy. Cheriesse’s work examines leadership, power, and the pursuit of justice through the deliberative and discursive politics of claims-making, policy development, and diplomatic engagement across international, national, and local contexts. Her geographical focus encompasses West Africa and the Sahel, Eastern and Central Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and the BRICS nations.

Grounded in decolonial methodologies, her research actively challenges Eurocentric epistemologies by centring localised, context-specific knowledge production and the critique of colonial power structures in research practices. As a 'Global North' scholar working across the 'Global South', Cheriesse is deeply committed to projects that examines and addresses the power imbalances that shape research, policy, and practice in these contexts. Recognising the structural privileges embedded within academic and institutional interactions, she actively seeks to collaborate with colleagues in redistributing the privileges of academic power towards the ‘Global South’.

As a practitioner, she has actively facilitated and participated in collaborative, multi-stakeholder policy dialogues between civil society organisations, industry partners and international policymakers across Europe and Africa. Through these efforts, she works to foster equitable knowledge production, amplify marginalised voices, and advocate for policy frameworks that centre the perspectives and agency of ‘Global South’ actors.

Beyond her core research endeavours, Cheriesse is a dedicated child rights activist and campaigner. She serves on the Young Women’s Advisory Council at the Pan-African Alliance for Ending Child Marriage and regularly engages with UN Women and the UN Human Rights Council. In these roles, she provides strategic guidance on global policy and institutional reform aimed at eliminating harmful practices against women and girls in Africa.

Cheriesse obtained her MSc in Development Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BA in Human Geography and the Environment from the University of York. In addition, she has held Fellowship positions at the UK-US Youth Dialogue Programme at the Hummer Tuttle Foundation, the Programme for African Leadership at the LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, and the Dialogue Society.

Research

• Natural Resource Governance
• Energy Transitions & Security
• Climate Governance & Diplomacy
• Environmental Law
• African Political Economy
• Decolonial Approaches to Development & Knowledge Production
• Geopolitics and Security in West Africa & the Sahel