Malawi’s distinguished political scientist Dulani elected Secretary for African body: Well deserved-Analysts

Malawi’s celebrated political scientist and scholar Associate Professor Boniface Dulani has been elected as the new Executive Secretary for African Association of Political Science (AAPS), in the process becoming the first Malawian scholar to occupy this position since the establishment of AAPS in 1974.

Dulani – an associate professor of Political Science at University of Malawi Chancellor College, a Director of Surveys at Afrobarometer, a senior parter at Institute of Public Opinion (IPOR) and a member of Malawi Political Science Association (PSA) – was elected as Executive Secretary at AAPS Conference and Annual General Meeting held between 25th and 26th March 2021.

Convened under the theme “Rethinking Politics in Africa”, the conference focused on “what it means to unthink in order to rethink politics” and touched on a cross range of subjects including governance; the state and the non-state; political economy; migration; the renewed pursuit of peace and justice; decolonization of political thought; methodology and pedagogy; and rethinking Africa. The conference – which was held virtually due to Covid-19 – was hosted by the University of Johannesburg.

Reacting to the development, the Malawi Political Science Association (PSA) has welcomed Dulani’s election, describing it as well-deserved.

“The leadership and entire membership of PSA would like to congratulate Associate Professor Boniface Dulani – a member of PSA – on his well-deserved election to the position of Executive Secretary of AAPS. Associate Professor Dulani joins a team of Africa’s finest political scientists and academics geared to contribute towards redefining the trajectory of the continent through spearheading relevant research and engagement on politics, governance, and development” – reads part of the statement signed by Joseph Chunga and Makhumbo Munthali PSA President and Secretary General respectively.

Chunga and Munthali further congratulated the entire new leadership of AAPS for their election.

“The PSA also congratulates the new President, Professor Christopher Isike, and the entire executive Committee of AAPS. We wish them success” – reads the last part of the statement released on 27th March 2021.

Prominent scholars took it on Twitter to congratulate Dulani.

Professor of Politics and international relations at University of Johannesburg,  Siphamandla Zondi, tweeted: “Yes, our beloved Executive Secretary, the engine of AAPS. Very proud of him”.

Dan Banik a professor of Political Science at University of Oslo also posted: “Congrats Bon, you are on a roll.”

AAPS was launched in Dar es Salaam in 1974 as the premier platform for discussing the state of African politics, governance, the state, economy and society, and was crucial for calling into question development, state, leadership, and knowledge models and policy prescripts coming from dominant global powers and international finance institutions like the IMF and the World Bank – ideas that bedeviled newly independent states and helped to turn the hope of the 1960s into impediments and nightmares of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

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