UI Don, Kudus Adebayo wins African Studies Association 2025 Samora & Graça Machel Presidential Fellowship

A lecturer at the Diaspora and Transnational Studies Unit of the Institute for African Studies, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kudus Oluwatoyin Adebayo, has been announced among the 2025 Cohort winners of the prestigious African Studies Association (ASA) Samora & Graça Machel Presidential Fellows.

The prestigious fellowship supports exceptional scholarship and academic exchange opportunities for Africa-based scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The 2025 Fellows are Kudus Oluwatoyin Adebayo; Khumisho Moguerane, and Eugenia Anderson and were selected through a competitive process recognizing scholarly excellence, originality, and contributions to African Studies.

Adebayo, is a Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, with his interdisciplinary work focusing on African migrants, migration health, and knowledge production.

According to ASA release, Adebayo will be hosted by Johns Hopkins University during the fellowship.

Fellows will also attend the ASA Annual Meeting, visit U.S. institutions, collaborate with Africanist scholars, and present their research while the program aims to foster intellectual exchange and amplify emerging voices in the field.

Adebayo while reacting to the fellowship, stated that the award is a “testament to the relevance of research taking place at the University of Ibadan despite the many challenges facing scholars.”

According to him, “I am honoured to receive this fellowship award from the African Studies Association. I am especially grateful to Dr. Julie Cummiskey for nominating me and to the ASA award committee for recognising my work. This award is a meaningful encouragement and a testament to the relevance of the research taking place at the University of Ibadan, despite the many challenges we face.

“I am indebted to my mentors, teachers, and colleagues at the Department of Sociology and the Institute of African Studies, whose guidance and collaboration continue to shape my scholarly journey.”

The Fund was made possible by a generous gift from Allen and Barbara Isaacman, noted scholars of Mozambique and long-time contributors to African Studies. Named in honour of Samora & Graça Machel, the fellowship celebrates the legacy of these influential Mozambican leaders and their lifelong commitment to liberation, education, and human rights.

Established in 1957, the African Studies Association is the flagship membership organization devoted to enhancing the exchange of information about Africa. The ASA is based in the United States and aims to cultivate a better understanding of the continent by providing access to path-breaking research and facilitating interdisciplinary exchanges with African scholars and institutions.

The ASA Annual Meeting fosters global networks by convening people with scholarly and other interests in Africa and ultimately broadens professional opportunities in the field. The organization publishes two leading journals on Africa, African Studies Review, and History in Africa and promotes an informed understanding of Africa to educational institutions, the public, businesses, media, and other interested communities.