Expert on Europe

Dr Leon Mwamba Tshimpaka is a Research Fellow at the Centre for the study of Governance Innovation (GovInn) in the department of Political sciences of University of Pretoria. He is a pan-African scholar who explores people-centric approaches to governance that fully includes epistemic communities in the decision-making processes affecting their lives at all level of society by allowing them to be active agents and owner of their development goals. Dr Tshimpaka holds a MA in Development Studies and PhD in Political Sciences from the University of South Africa and University of Pretoria, respectively. He is researching on people-centred approaches to regionalism, political transnationalism of African migrants in Europe and North America, decolonial turn, anti-corruption initiatives, civil society and alternative governance, democracy and political transformation. He teaches People-centred Approaches to Regionalism in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. He also taught Introduction to Development Studies, Development Problems and Institutions, Community Development and Programs and Projects as tools of Development in the Department of Development Studies at the University of South Africa. He is a recipient of the 2016 Andrew Mellon Foundation Doctoral Scholarship and 2017 GIGA Institute of African Affairs - Doctoral Seed Funding.