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Dr. Joshua K. Maiyo

Assistant Professor of International Relations
jmaiyo@usiu.ac.ke    |     +254 730 116 616

Areas of current research interest:

As an Assistant Professor, my academic focus spans diverse yet interconnected domains within the realm of social and environmental sciences. My primary research interest lies in international development, where I investigate the intricate dynamics shaping global progress, with a keen emphasis on inclusive and sustainable practices. Within this framework, I explore the political ecology of environmental governance, unravelling the nuanced interplay between power structures, policy frameworks, and ecological systems.

A pivotal aspect of my research agenda revolves around social and environmental justice. I critically analyse the distributional impacts of policies and interventions, particularly focusing on marginalized communities. This commitment extends to agrarian studies and land administration, where I delve into the intricate relationships between land-use patterns, agrarian structures, and the socio-economic implications of land tenure systems. By scrutinizing land administration policies, I aim to contribute insights into issues such as land-related conflicts and their repercussions on rural livelihoods.

The evolving dynamics of China-Africa relations constitute another key area of my specialization. Through empirical studies, I examine the economic, diplomatic, and socio-environmental dimensions of this relationship, shedding light on its implications for both African countries and the broader international community.

Methodological rigor is integral to my academic pursuits. I employ a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. This commitment to methodological diversity allows me to triangulate findings and offer comprehensive analyses that capture the complexity of social and environmental phenomena.

Profile:

Josh Maiyo is a lecturer in Political Ecology, Environment, and Development at the department of International Relations, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa. His research and scholarly interests lie in the intersection between the socio-politics of environment and natural resource governance, agrarian change, and rural development. Other research areas include the political ecology of Chinese engagement in Africa. Before joining USIU-A in 2019, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Radboud University, Nijmegen in the Netherlands where his research examined the dynamics of land administration and local government legitimacy in Northern Uganda. Prior to that, he was a research fellow in the China-Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington DC, where he conducted research on the political ecology of Chinese agriculture and infrastructure investments in East Africa (Uganda and Kenya).

Dr. Maiyo has extensive teaching experience in the Netherlands, having served as a senior lecturer in international relations at the Leiden campus of Webster University, in the Netherlands; the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam where he taught environment, globalization and development; and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in international Development, and Human Geography. He has also been a visiting lecturer at the Centre for African Studies (JEFCAS), Bradford University (UK); the Centre for African Studies (ZASB), University of Basel; African Studies Centre (ASC) Leiden University, and the Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS).

Dr. Maiyo obtained his PhD in Social Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam (2018) on the topic of foreign large-scale land acquisitions, agrarian change, and rural development in Uganda. Dr. Maiyo also holds post-graduate degrees in Political Science and International Relations (MSc) from the University of Amsterdam (cum laude), and a MPhil in African Studies from Leiden University.

In his spare time, Josh Maiyo enjoys long-distance running and practicing small-scale agroecology in Kenya’s western Rift-Valley.

Areas of current research interest:

As an Assistant Professor, my academic focus spans diverse yet interconnected domains within the realm of social and environmental sciences. My primary research interest lies in international development, where I investigate the intricate dynamics shaping global progress, with a keen emphasis on inclusive and sustainable practices. Within this framework, I explore the political ecology of environmental governance, unravelling the nuanced interplay between power structures, policy frameworks, and ecological systems.

A pivotal aspect of my research agenda revolves around social and environmental justice. I critically analyse the distributional impacts of policies and interventions, particularly focusing on marginalized communities. This commitment extends to agrarian studies and land administration, where I delve into the intricate relationships between land-use patterns, agrarian structures, and the socio-economic implications of land tenure systems. By scrutinizing land administration policies, I aim to contribute insights into issues such as land-related conflicts and their repercussions on rural livelihoods.

The evolving dynamics of China-Africa relations constitute another key area of my specialization. Through empirical studies, I examine the economic, diplomatic, and socio-environmental dimensions of this relationship, shedding light on its implications for both African countries and the broader international community.

Methodological rigor is integral to my academic pursuits. I employ a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. This commitment to methodological diversity allows me to triangulate findings and offer comprehensive analyses that capture the complexity of social and environmental phenomena.

Academic Degrees:

  • 2018: PhD in Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 2008: MPhil in African Studies, Africa Studies Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 2006: Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 1995: Bachelor of Education (Arts) in English Language and Literature, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.

Publications:

Journal Articles

  • Maiyo, J. (Forthcoming 2021). Assessing trajectories of China-Africa technology transfer: The case of the Uganda-China friendship agricultural technology demonstration centre, Journal of Asian and African Studies.
  • Leeuwen M., Kobusingye, D., & Maiyo, J. (Forthcoming 2021). The legitimation effects of development interventions – strengthening land registration in Northern Uganda, Security Dialogue.
  • Maiyo, J. K., & Evers, S. J. T. M. (2020). Claim-making in transnational land deals: Discourses of legitimation and stakeholder relations in central Uganda. Geoforum, 109, 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.04.014
  • Maiyo, J., Kobusingye, D.N., Sanou, B.W., Antwi-Bediako, R., and Salomao, A., (2016) Governing Commercial Pressures on Land in Africa: What is the Role of Local Government? LANDac Working Paper, IDS, Utrecht University. https://usercontent.one/wp/www.landgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LANDac-Role-of-Local-Gov-MZ-Working-Paper.pdf

Books

  • Maiyo, J. (2010) Political Parties and Democratic Consolidation in East Africa, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Saarbrcken.
  • Maiyo, J. (2010) Justice in Conflict: The Suitability of International Justice in Conflict Resolution the International Criminal Court in Northern Uganda, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Saarbrcken.
  • Maiyo, J. et al. (2009) Health Hope and Home? The possibilities and constraints of voluntary return for African rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants living with HIV in the Netherlands, International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Hague. http://www.iom¬nederland.nl/dsresource?objectid=2458&type=org

Book Chapters

  • Maiyo, J. (2010) ‘Political parties and intra-­party democracy in East Africa: Considerations for democratic consolidation’, in Mirjam de Bruijn & Daniela Merolla (eds) Researching Africa: Explorations of everyday African encounters, African Studies Collection, Vol. 26, Leiden, African Studies Centre pp. 31­55. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3579313

Book Reviews

Policy Papers

Conference Proceedings

Areas of Teaching:

  • Political Ecology,
  • Environmental governance,
  • Land and Agrarian change,
  • Sociology of development, and
  • China-Africa relations

Courses Teaching:

  • IRL6055 - Theories of Development and Underdevelopment
  • IRL6035 - Politics and Patterns of Cooperation and Conflict
  • IRL6030 - Issues of Development and Conflict
  • IRL4065 - East Africa in World Affairs
  • IRL4150 - Area Studies
  • IRL3010 - Development Issues in Africa
  • IRL3021 - African Philosophy and Ideologies
  • GEO3000 - Geography and the Environment
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