ÌÇÐÄVlog

People

Dr Florian Kern

Reader (R)
Department of Government
Dr Florian Kern
  • Email

  • Location

    5.302, Colchester Campus

  • Academic support hours

    By appointment (on research leave)

Profile

Biography

I am a Reader (Associate Professor) at the Department of Government and a fellow at the Michael Nicholson Centre for Conflict and Cooperation. I am also a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Department of Methodology, London School of Economics. I received my PhD from the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz. I also hold an M.A. from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. I am currently on research leave. My main research interest lies in governance, the political economy of development, and conflict, with a regional focus on Africa and indigenous North America. I employ a variety of approaches, combining applied qualitative and quantitative methods, surveys, case studies, and fieldwork. My most recent work focuses on domestic sources of foreign policy formulation in Africa, land rights, as well as research transparency in qualitative methods. With colleagues, I run the Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa project (MCCRA), funded by an ESRC Large Research Grant (2.5 million GBP, 2023-2027). With my colleague Hannah Gibson, I organise the Africa Special Interest Group (ASIG), the hub for research on Africa the ÌÇÐÄVlog. Hannah and I also founded the Age and Power in Africa (AaPiA) group. Since 2024, I am on the research committee of the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA), one of the British Academy's BIRI. With Mwita Chacha, I am also currently starting the International Politics in Africa research network. If you are interested in joining the network, please be in touch. We will launch sometime in late 2024. In recent years, my research has been generously supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the ESRC Global Challenges Research Fund, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF), the Gerda Henkel Foundation, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Appointments

ÌÇÐÄVlog

  • Director of Impact, Department of Government, ÌÇÐÄVlog (1/9/2021 - present)

  • Convenor, Africa Special Interest Group, ÌÇÐÄVlog (1/1/2021 - present)

  • Director of Knowledge Exchange, Department of Government, ÌÇÐÄVlog (1/7/2019 - present)

  • Convenor of ÌÇÐÄVlog Workshop on Development, ÌÇÐÄVlog (3/4/2017 - 30/6/2019)

Other academic

  • Reader, Government, ÌÇÐÄVlog (1/10/2023 - present)

  • Senior Lecturer, Government, ÌÇÐÄVlog (1/10/2020 - 30/9/2023)

  • Lecturer, Government, ÌÇÐÄVlog (3/4/2017 - 30/9/2020)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

comparative politics

mixed methods inference

formal theory

field research design

Sub-Saharan Africa

indigenous governance

public goods provision

Conferences and presentations

African Studies Associate of the UK

African Studies Association of the UK, 1/5/2024

African Foreign Policy and Public Opinion

Invited presentation, Seminar, Center for African Studies, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, 8/2/2024

European Conference on African Studies

Biannual conference, European Conference on Africa Studies, Cologne, 18/9/2023

Teaching and supervision

Current teaching responsibilities

  • African Politics (GV241)

Previous supervision

Samira Diebire
Samira Diebire
Degree subject: Conflict Resolution
Degree type: Master of Science
Awarded date: 5/10/2022

Publications

Journal articles (13)

Kern, FG. and Mustasilta, K., (2023). . Comparative Political Studies. 56 (8), 1224-1256

Kern, FG., Gleditsch, KS. and Cordell, R., (2023). . Governance. 37 (1), 137-159

Kern, F., Holzinger, K. and Kromrey, D., (2023). . Third World Quarterly. 45 (1), 113-132

Hartman, A. and Kern, F., (2020). . World Development. 127, 104804-104804

Cordell, R., Gleditsch, K., Kern, F. and Saavedra-Lux, L., (2020). . Journal of Peace Research. 57 (6), 777-788

Holzinger, K., Kern, F. and Kromrey, D., (2020). . Political Studies. 68 (4), 973-995

Haven, TL., Errington, TM., Gleditsch, KS., van Grootel, L., Jacobs, AM., Kern, FG., Piñeiro, R., Rosenblatt, F. and Mokkink, LB., (2020). . International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 19, 160940692097641-160940692097641

Kern, FG., (2018). . Journal of Mixed Methods Research. 12 (2), 166-181

Goist, M. and Kern, FG., (2018). . Research and Politics. 5 (1), 205316801775392-205316801775392

Genovese, F., Kern, FG. and Martin, C., (2017). . International Studies Quarterly. 61 (2), 236-252

Holzinger, K., Kern, FG. and Kromrey, D., (2016). . Political Research Quarterly. 69 (3), 469-481

Kern, FG. and Vossiek, J., (2015). . European Political Science. 14 (2), 137-148

kern, FG. and vossiek, J., (2015). Erratum: get organised: the ‘do’s’ preceding successful field research. European Political Science. 14 (2), 203-203

Reports and Papers (1)

Kern, F., Steinwand, M. and Diebire, S., (2025). WP209: Foreign policy congruence in Africa: Evidence on free movement and free trade

Grants and funding

2023

Linguistic injustice and inequality in the public domain

British Academy

Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities of Practiced Linguistic Diversity

Economic and Social Research Council

2021

How are women's livelihoods affected by COVID-19 and related containment measures in fragile states? Leveraging existing impact networks in Northern Uganda

ÌÇÐÄVlog (GCRF)

2019

Improving women's livelihoods in fragile states - the case of women's land rights advocates in Uganda

ÌÇÐÄVlog (GCRF)

Visit of Uganda Land Alliance staff to ÌÇÐÄVlog in May/June for project planning meetings and impact exchange with London policy partners

ÌÇÐÄVlog (GCRF)

Training observation, testimonial collection of Uganda Land Alliance's Women's Land Rights Advocates Trainings, civil society workshop on improving women's livelihoods in fragile states

ÌÇÐÄVlog (GCRF)

Visit of Uganda Land Alliance staff to ÌÇÐÄVlog in May/June for project planning meetings and impact exchange with London policy partners

ÌÇÐÄVlog (GCRF)

2017

Evaluating the Household-level Impact of the Women's Land Rights Advocates in Uganda

ÌÇÐÄVlog

2016

Land Access and Conflict in Uganda: The Role of Women's Land Rights Advocates

Robert Bosch Stiftung

Contact

fkern@essex.ac.uk

Location:

5.302, Colchester Campus

Academic support hours:

By appointment (on research leave)

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