Hello and welcome!

I am Michael Yekple, and I am currently a visiting assistant professor of Government at Bowdoin College and a Research Fellow at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, University of Central Florida.  I received a PhD in Security Studies at the University of Central Florida. Originally from Ghana, I received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana. 

My research examines the connection between governance and instability across three areas: peacekeeping and civilian protection, democratic backsliding and military coups, and conflict and political violence.  

My book project examines the effectiveness of deploying emerging technologies, such as drones, for civilian protection in peacekeeping operations and the implications for civilian populations in conflict contexts. Specifically, I explore how the configuration of peacekeeping missions shapes how technologies enable peacekeepers to intervene to prevent armed attacks against civilian populations and how the implications of drone deployment shape civilian support for their use in conflict contexts.

My scholarly and policy works have been published in Political Studies,  African Security Review, Plos One, and African Peace and Conflict Studies. 

I have previously held research positions at the Legon Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy—an influential foreign policy institution under Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs—and at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center, both located in Accra, Ghana. In these positions, my research primarily focused on peace and security in Africa, encompassing topics such as conflict resolution, peacebuilding, terrorism, and the rise of violent extremism in the West African sub-region.