Zekeria Ould Ahmed Salem Denna

Dr. Zekeria Ould Ahmed Salem, 39, is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Nouakchott, Mauritania. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science from the Institute of Political Studies at Lyon 2 University, France (1996). His has published numerous articles and books chapters focused on political sociology, international relations and the study of institutions, development, and governance mainly on Islamic Republic of Mauritania, but also on Senegal. His latest publications include : "Islam in Mauritania between Political Expansion and Globalization: Elites, Institutions, Knowledge, and Networks", in B. Soares and R. Otayek, eds., Islam and Muslim Politics in Africa, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007; "Mauritania: A Saharan Frontier State", The Journal of North African Studies, Volume 10, Issue 3/4, September 2005, pp. 491-506, London, republished in Jeremy Keenan, ed., The Sahara: Past, Present and Future, London, Routledge, 2007 He is also the editor and author of some chapters of the book : Trajectories of The Frontier-State : Spaces, political evolution and social transformations in Mauritania (French), Dakar, Codesria, 2004.

For 2005-2007, he has served as Secretary General of two Ministries in Mauritania: Higher Education and Rural Development since October 2006 until 2007 May.

While at African Studies Center, he will design and start writing a book on Contemporary Mauritanian Politics. The provisional title of the project is: "Mauritania. From Unlikely Nation to a Fragile State?". He will also complete a paper focused on The Political Transition in Mauritania which took place in Mauritania from 2005 and 2007.