Dr. Tim Glawion

Studying 12 cases across the Central African Republic, Haiti, Somaliland, and South Sudan, I investigate (1) where hybrid interactions take place, (2) how they happen and (3) what this means for people’s security.

Rebel governance assumes a symbiotic relationship between coercion and public goods provision. However, in the rebel-held town of Ndélé, Central African Republic, we find that governance happens in rebel-held territory, but rarely by rebels.

Anlässlich des Russland-Afrika-Gipfels spricht GIGA-Forscher Dr. Tim Glawion im Interview mit Deutschlandfunk Kultur über die Beziehungen zwischen Russland und Zentralafrika. 

Der russische Präsident empfängt in St. Petersburg afrikanische Präsidenten und Premierminister zum Russland-Afrika-Gipfel. Afrika-Experte Dr. Tim Galwion erklärt, welche Interessen Russland in Afrika hat und was sich afrikanische Regierungen von Putin erhoffen.

Organiser: Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Dr. Tim Glawion (Consultant)

Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Dr. Tim Glawion (Consultant)

Examinations of substate politics are mostly limited to single-case studies or statistical analyses. Seldom are qualitative methods applied with a comparative aim in mind that can unveil patterns of political ordering on the local level. In this GIGA session we discuss how to gather comparable data across field sites and how to compare them analytically. The lecturer will provide examples from his comparative studies on local security arenas in the Central African Republic, Lebanon, Somaliland, South Sudan, and Haiti. Students are encouraged to share their own experiences and plans during class.

Heidelberg University Heidelberg Germany

Students will learn to study security concepts commonly attributed to the “Global South” (fragile statehood, hybridity, civil strife) in a cross-regional comparison. Through a local security lens, students will learn how comparable human behaviour from a micro perspective is – thereby de-essentialising common ascriptions to the “Global South”. The aims of the course are threefold: understanding concepts, using qualitative methods, and comparing cases. From a conceptual standpoint we will focus on essentialisation, security arenas, hybrid orders and “fragile” statehood. Methodologically, students will get an introductory glimpse at using interviewing techniques. For the comparison we will emphasize six cases: Germany, France, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Central African Republic, Somalia/Somaliland, and South Sudan. At the end, students should be able to write an unbiased, methodologically and conceptually sound term paper on local security comparisons.

Berlin School of Economics and Law Berlin Germany