
Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin
Vice President (International, Engagement & Service)
- Professor of Security, Leadership & Development
- Co-chair of the Board, King's Global Health Partnerships
Research interests
- Conflict
- Equality
- International development
- Policy
- Security
Biography
Professor ’Funmi Olonisakin is Vice-President International, Engagement and Service (IES) at King’s College London. She is also Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at the African Leadership Centre in the School of Global Affairs at King’s. In her role as Vice-President IES, Professor Olonisakin seeks to facilitate the deployment of King’s assets (including knowledge, scholarship and talent in service of society) locally, nationally and internationally, to enable transformative and lasting impact. She is committed to building inter-disciplinary and intersectoral collaboration, and sustaining equitable partnerships to realise positive and lasting impact within and beyond King’s.
Producing knowledge that influences change beyond the academy has been at the heart of Professor Olonisakin’s research work and life as an academic. She has positioned her work to serve as a bridge between academia and the worlds of policy and practice. Her research has been shaped by her interest in deepening understanding of why civil wars relapse, and the drivers of youth vulnerability and exclusion in the developing world. More recently, she has sought to explore the interface between leadership, peace, and security as a basis to unpack and understand the big transnational problems that confront the world today. She has led a number of major research projects including most recently on “future peace, society and the state in Africa”, supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Professor Olonisakin founded the African Leadership Centre (ALC) both at King’s and in Kenya, as a collaboration between King’s and the University of Nairobi in 2010. The ALC aims to develop a new community of leaders generating cutting edge-knowledge for peace, security and development in Africa. Professor Olonisakin has focused on inclusive postgraduate research training at the ALC, combining field-building with community-building while working with inter-generational research teams to translate knowledge generated into multiple forms of collaborative engagement regionally in Africa, and globally.
Previously, Professor Olonisakin worked in the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in New York, between 1999 and 2003. From 2003 until 2013, she was Director of the Conflict Security and Development Group at King’s College London.
In January 2015, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, appointed Professor Olonisakin as one of seven members of the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE) on the Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture; and in 2016, as a member of the Advisory Group of Experts for the United Nations Progress Study on Youth, Peace, and Security. In 2018, she was appointed to the Council of the United Nations University, on which she currently serves as Chair. She was awarded the Fellowship of King’s College in 2020.
University of Pretoria (UP), where she was appointed as an Extra-Ordinary Professor in 2016, conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) on Professor Olonisakin in May 2022 in recognition of her significant contributions to the promotion of peace, security, justice, and international solidarity in Africa, with special reference to women and youth.
Professor Olonisakin was educated at the University of Ife, Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and King’s College London, graduating with a BSc. Honours in Political Science (Ife, 1984) and MSc and PhD in War Studies (King’s 1996) respectively. She was a post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Sciences in UP in 1998, and was awarded a McArthur Foundation post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of War Studies from 1998-1999.
Research
- Future peace through the lens of future people
- The emerging African paradigm
- Leadership perspectives in security and development
- Youth, peace and security in developing societies
'Funmi has positioned her work to serve as a bridge between academia and the worlds of policy and practice. Her most recent research has focused on 'Reframing narratives of peace and state-building in Africa' and on 'Future peace, society and the state in Africa.'
Further details
Research

Conflict, Security & Development Research Group
CSDRG undertakes a wide range of research, policy, advisory, and teaching activities related to conflict, security and development.

Gender Studies at King's
Bringing together like-minded scholars and students from across King's to examine the influence of gender relations..

InterSEC:Action
The InterSEC:Action team review to understand the nature and scale of sexual exploitation in the aid industry and conduct a pilot study using genealogy
Project status: Ongoing
News
Minister's visit to King's marks historic anniversary
King’s College London welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Korea, Park Jin, for a roundtable discussion to mark the 140th anniversary...

King's ranks among top universities for knowledge exchange for third year running
King’s College London has again ranked among the top English universities in this year’s Knowledge Exchange Framework results.

King's officially launches the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education
King’s College London officially launched the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education and formalised a partnership with the Afe Babalola University...

Celebrating the King's community driving forward sustainability
Staff, students and alumni came together at the King’s Climate & Sustainability Awards 2023 to celebrate the efforts of those helping to make King’s a more...

King's part of new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE)
Seventeen research Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) have been created to bring together researchers from Europe and Africa, to transform collaboration...

King's puts 'Compassion into Action' for Refugee Week 2023
This week (19-25 June) marks Refugee Week, for which the theme is ‘Compassion into Action’. As a university, King’s strives to ensure individuals affected by...

Day 2: The London Defence Conference, hosted by King's
Chair of the London Defence Conference, Lord Salisbury welcomed attendees to the second day of insight from policymakers, military experts and academics on...

King's academics discuss youth, protest, and peacebuilding with the state in Africa
Academics from the African Leadership Centre recently co-hosted and attended a town hall discussion on youth, protest and peace-building with the state in...

Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin calls for better understanding of tech for future peace
The expert in peacebuilding and leadership spoke about a future where war and peace would be driven by science and technology, at a recent United Nations...
Symposium brings leading voices together to better support Ukraine and beyond
Universities, charities and donors at the forefront of supporting students and academics impacted by the war in Ukraine came together at King’s to reflect on...

Events

Africa's Position in a (Dis)Ordered Multipolar World
The lecture will reflect on the emerging global (dis)order, how Africa should renegotiate its position within this context in flux, and what role, if any,...
Please note: this event has passed.

International Women's Day: Dismantling barriers faced by women in STEMM
Join our International Women's Day online event exploring the barriers for women in science research
Please note: this event has passed.

Africa's influence on changing peace and security landscapes: reflection for policy, practice and scholarship
Hear from Dr Comfort Ero, President and CEO of International Crisis Group (ICG).
Please note: this event has passed.

Peter Da Costa Memorial Lecture: Continuities and discontinuities in Africa: governance, development and regional peace and security (hybrid)
Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu joins us for the 2022 Peter Da Costa Memorial Lecture.
Please note: this event has passed.

Africa Week Keynote: Fashion as an interlocuter across disciplines, time and spaces
A conversation with renowned Fashion Designer, Ituen Basi, about how Fashion and the Arts, more widely, serve as connectors across themes including history,...
Please note: this event has passed.

Book launch: Whose Peace Are We Building? Leadership for Peace in Africa
The African Leadership Centre (ALC) invites you to the launch of the first book of its Leading Practitioners Reflection Series on Peace and Security in Africa
Please note: this event has passed.

African Leadership Centre Alumni Conference
Peace and Wellbeing in Uncertain Times: Ten years of conceptualizing security and leadership in Africa
Please note: this event has passed.

Book launch: The New Power University
The social purpose of higher education in the 21st century
Please note: this event has passed.

Roundtable discussion: Leadership in UN Peace operations: challenges and opportunities for Brazil
A roundtable on UN peacekeeping operations and the historic role Brazil has played.
Please note: this event has passed.

Keynote lecture: Professor David Olusoga in conversation with Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin
One of this year's keynote addresses will be an in-conversation event between Professor David Olusoga and Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
Leadership in a multipolar world: why COVID-19 has demonstrated the need to rethink global and national leadership infrastructure
Profesor 'Funmi Olonisakin and Linganaden Murday discuss leadership infrastructure as part of the Build Back Better Together essay series.

Spotlight
Building leadership for peace in Africa
To help us better understand and break the cyclical nature of conflict, Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin has been working to help to transform approaches to...

Research

Conflict, Security & Development Research Group
CSDRG undertakes a wide range of research, policy, advisory, and teaching activities related to conflict, security and development.

Gender Studies at King's
Bringing together like-minded scholars and students from across King's to examine the influence of gender relations..

InterSEC:Action
The InterSEC:Action team review to understand the nature and scale of sexual exploitation in the aid industry and conduct a pilot study using genealogy
Project status: Ongoing
News
Minister's visit to King's marks historic anniversary
King’s College London welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Korea, Park Jin, for a roundtable discussion to mark the 140th anniversary...

King's ranks among top universities for knowledge exchange for third year running
King’s College London has again ranked among the top English universities in this year’s Knowledge Exchange Framework results.

King's officially launches the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education
King’s College London officially launched the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education and formalised a partnership with the Afe Babalola University...

Celebrating the King's community driving forward sustainability
Staff, students and alumni came together at the King’s Climate & Sustainability Awards 2023 to celebrate the efforts of those helping to make King’s a more...

King's part of new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE)
Seventeen research Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) have been created to bring together researchers from Europe and Africa, to transform collaboration...

King's puts 'Compassion into Action' for Refugee Week 2023
This week (19-25 June) marks Refugee Week, for which the theme is ‘Compassion into Action’. As a university, King’s strives to ensure individuals affected by...

Day 2: The London Defence Conference, hosted by King's
Chair of the London Defence Conference, Lord Salisbury welcomed attendees to the second day of insight from policymakers, military experts and academics on...

King's academics discuss youth, protest, and peacebuilding with the state in Africa
Academics from the African Leadership Centre recently co-hosted and attended a town hall discussion on youth, protest and peace-building with the state in...

Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin calls for better understanding of tech for future peace
The expert in peacebuilding and leadership spoke about a future where war and peace would be driven by science and technology, at a recent United Nations...
Symposium brings leading voices together to better support Ukraine and beyond
Universities, charities and donors at the forefront of supporting students and academics impacted by the war in Ukraine came together at King’s to reflect on...

Events

Africa's Position in a (Dis)Ordered Multipolar World
The lecture will reflect on the emerging global (dis)order, how Africa should renegotiate its position within this context in flux, and what role, if any,...
Please note: this event has passed.

International Women's Day: Dismantling barriers faced by women in STEMM
Join our International Women's Day online event exploring the barriers for women in science research
Please note: this event has passed.

Africa's influence on changing peace and security landscapes: reflection for policy, practice and scholarship
Hear from Dr Comfort Ero, President and CEO of International Crisis Group (ICG).
Please note: this event has passed.

Peter Da Costa Memorial Lecture: Continuities and discontinuities in Africa: governance, development and regional peace and security (hybrid)
Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu joins us for the 2022 Peter Da Costa Memorial Lecture.
Please note: this event has passed.

Africa Week Keynote: Fashion as an interlocuter across disciplines, time and spaces
A conversation with renowned Fashion Designer, Ituen Basi, about how Fashion and the Arts, more widely, serve as connectors across themes including history,...
Please note: this event has passed.

Book launch: Whose Peace Are We Building? Leadership for Peace in Africa
The African Leadership Centre (ALC) invites you to the launch of the first book of its Leading Practitioners Reflection Series on Peace and Security in Africa
Please note: this event has passed.

African Leadership Centre Alumni Conference
Peace and Wellbeing in Uncertain Times: Ten years of conceptualizing security and leadership in Africa
Please note: this event has passed.

Book launch: The New Power University
The social purpose of higher education in the 21st century
Please note: this event has passed.

Roundtable discussion: Leadership in UN Peace operations: challenges and opportunities for Brazil
A roundtable on UN peacekeeping operations and the historic role Brazil has played.
Please note: this event has passed.

Keynote lecture: Professor David Olusoga in conversation with Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin
One of this year's keynote addresses will be an in-conversation event between Professor David Olusoga and Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
Leadership in a multipolar world: why COVID-19 has demonstrated the need to rethink global and national leadership infrastructure
Profesor 'Funmi Olonisakin and Linganaden Murday discuss leadership infrastructure as part of the Build Back Better Together essay series.

Spotlight
Building leadership for peace in Africa
To help us better understand and break the cyclical nature of conflict, Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin has been working to help to transform approaches to...
