Bruno Braak

Bruno Braak, MLitt (1987) is post-doctoral researcher at the Van Vollenhoven Institute in the research project ‘Access to Justice in Libya’. His PhD monograph is entitled 'Overcoming Ruptures: Zande identity, governance and tradition during cycles of war and displacement in South Sudan and Uganda (2014-9)'. For this thesis, Bruno conducted multi-sited ethnographic research in South Sudan and Uganda. The thesis shows how people attempts to construct continuity and coherence in times of conflict, displacement, and change, and shows what roles traditional authorities play in that regard. Elements of this research were also published with the Rift Valley Institute, the Africa-blog of London School of Economics, and Civil War Journal. On the African continent, Bruno has lived in Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and DR Congo. His research has focused on the Sudans, Uganda, and recently Libya. 

Bruno studied Peace and Conflict Studies (MLitt) at the University of St Andrews. His master’s thesis on peace missions in Kosovo was awarded the Sir Menzies Campbell Prize for the best thesis written in the School of International Relations. Before that, he studied Cultural Anthropology at Leiden University with a minor in Law, Culture and Development offered by the Van Vollenhoven Institute. Bruno interned with NRC Handelsblad, the Netherlands Embassy in Sudan, the Clingendael Institute and Stichting Duurzame Samenleving Papua. He has also set up a website with video-interviews - www.warandpeacetalk.com.