Fatuma Ahmed Ali holds a European Doctorate with Distinction from the Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain); an International Master in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (Honors) from UNESCO Chair for Philosophy of Peace, POP-Official Postgraduate Program (Spain); Master of Philosophy (MPhil) (Honors) in “Peace, Conflict and Democracy” from Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain); an International Master in Peace and Development Studies, from the MA Program of Peace and Development Studies of the Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain; and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Honors) with Minors in Sociology and Management from United States International University – Nairobi (Kenya).
Dr. Fatuma Ali is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the United States International University – Africa (USIU-A), Nairobi (Kenya). She is also a Visiting Faculty and an External researcher of the Interuniversity Institute for Social Development & Peace (IUDESP) of the Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain.
Her areas of specialization lie in the field of International Relations, Peace, Conflict and Development Studies, Gender, Security, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), Foreign Policy and Politics in the Horn of Africa. Her research interest includes Gender and Violent Extremism, Women and War, Peace Education, Peace Culture, Indigenous Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding Models, Social Development, Feminist Theory, African-Islamic Feminism, Women´s agency, Elections, Peace Settlements, Informal institutions/actors and Migration/Displacements in the Horn of Africa, Gender/Child Protection of Refugees, Violence against Women (VAW), Gender Based Violence and Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV).
Dr. Fatuma Ali is also a researcher, trainer, curriculum developer/reviewer, peer reviewer, external examiner, African-Islamic feminist, Pan-Africanist, mentor and academic activist. She has also worked as an independent consultant with International NGOs, UN agencies (UNDP, UNHCR, and UNODC), Kenyan Government, and the Commission for University Education (CUE). She has organized/co-organized several seminar series, roundtables, colloquium, and international conferences.
Recently, she was awarded the UK Research Innovation (UKRI) GCRF grant to carry out a collaborative project with Dr. Sahla Aroussi from Leeds University and Ms. Pauline Skaper from Rift Valley Institute, to develop an open, critical and interdisciplinary global network on Gender and Responding to Violent Extremism (GARVE) https://garve-network.org. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Peace Prize 2020 award of the City of Castellon (Premio Por la Paz Ciudad de Castellon), Spain for her activism against violence against women and women empowerment. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, briefs, opinion pieces, one edited and self-authored book in both English and Spanish languages.
She is also a Board member of the NGOs Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW), Conscious Kenya, and the Nairobi Patron of the Community-based Organisation Sisters with a Mission.