Skip to main content

Makulilo, Prof. Dr. Alexander

Portrait of Prof. Alexander Makulilo
Position at ABI:
Senior Research Fellow
E-mail:
makulilo76 [at] yahoo.co.uk
Areas of research:
Democracy, Constitutionalism, Elections, Gender, Peace and Conflicts, Development, Public Opinion, Political Institutions, Political Behavior, and Comparative Politics
Regional focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Professional experience:
Since 2025
The Fourth Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Professor in Pan-African Studies, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2023 - 2025
Georg Forster Research Fellow (Alexander von Humboldt), Anold Bergstraesser Institute, Freiburg, Germany
Since 2022
Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam
2019 - 2022
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic, Research and Consultancy), University of Dodoma, Tanzania
2021 - 2022
Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dodoma
2019 - 2021
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dodoma
2017 - 2019
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam
2016 - 2019
Principal, College of Social Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2015 - 2016
Head, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam
2014 - 2017
Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam
2013 - 2019
Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Country Expert for Tanzania
Since 2012
Visiting Lecturer, National Defence College - Tanzania
2010 - 2014
Lecturer, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam
Since 2010
Research Fellow, The French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA)
Education:
2011 - 2015
LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws), The Open University of Tanzania
2008 - 2010
Doctorate (Dr. phil.) in Political Science (Summa cum Laude), Leipzig University
2004 - 2007
M.A. in Political Science, University of Dar es Salaam
2001 - 2004
B.A in Political Science, University of Dar es Salaam

Editor-in-Chief - The African Review (Brill)

Member of Editorial Board - SN Social Sciences (Springer)

Member of Editorial Board - The East African Review (IFRA)

Member of Editorial Board - Journal of Politics and Law (Canadian Center of Science and Education)

Member of Editorial Board - UTAFITI Journal (Brill)

International Political Science Association (IPSA)

American Political Science Association (APSA)

Society of African Journal Editors (SAJE)

International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS)

2023 - 2025: Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (Alexander von Humboldt), Germany

Since 2023: Judge of the Routledge Area Studies Awards in Impact and Interdisciplinarity

2019: Edinburgh Catalyst Fellowship (University of Edinburgh)

2018 - 2019: University of Dar es Salaam Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation Grant

2017 - 2018: Interdisciplinary Research Fund (Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies)

2008 - 2010: Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) scholarship, Germany

2004 - 2007: Research for Education and Democracy in Tanzania scholarship (University of Dar es Salaam)

Makulilo, A. & Mukandala, R. eds. (2027) The Oxford Handbook of Tanzanian Politics. Oxford University Press (Forthcoming). 

Makulilo, A. (2025) Why Ruling Parties Lose: Tanzania and Zambia Democratization in Comparative Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan (Forthcoming).

Makulilo, A. (2025) Rethinking “Ujamaa” and the Diversity Question in Tanzania.  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs (Forthcoming).

Makulilo, A. (2025) Wealth, Power, and Authoritarian Institutions by Michaela Collord.  Commonwealth and Comparative Politics (Forthcoming). 

Juma, A. & Makulilo, A. (2025) Enhancing Employability Skills through Innovative Leadership Strategies: Insight from Tanzania’s Universities. SN Social Sciences (Forthcoming).

Juma, A. & Makulilo, A. (2025) Building Equitable Learning Societies: A Systematic Integration of Historical Philosophies, Self-Organized Practices, and AI Innovations for Lifelong Learning (Forthcoming).

PE. Kazyoba, CE. Onuekwe, A. Makulilo, T. Haonga, W. Mwengee, G. Saguti (2025) Lessons and challenges of practice of traditional medicines as an alternative for COVID-19 vaccine in Tanzania. In: Journal of Public Health in Africa 16, 2025.

Makulilo, A. & Henry, R. (2025) More Than Healing the Souls: Revisiting the Partnership Between the Government and Faith-Based Organizations in the Provision of Healthcare Services in Tanzania. In: Kilonzo, S.M., Chitando, E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Religion, Health and Development in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-19.

CE. Onuekwe, VM. Mathenge, A. Makulilo, W. Mwengee, T. Haonga (2025) Understanding the perceptions of risks versus the benefits of COVID-19 vaccinations in Manyara. Tanzania. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 16, 2025.

CE. Onuekwe, AT. Kessy, E. Kamanyi, PE. Kazyoba, A. Makulilo, T. Ndaluka (2025) Understanding the socio-ecological determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A cross-sectional study of post-COVID-19 Tanzania. Journal of Public Health in Africa 16, 1-3.

Makulilo, A. (2025) On the Edges of Whiteness: Polish Refugees in British Colonial Africa During and After the Second World War By Jochen Lingelbach, Journal of Refugee Studies, Volume 38, Issue 1, March 2025, Pages 285–287.

Makulilo, A., & Henry, R. (2024) Fifty Years of the African Review: Past, Present and Future. Global Africa, 7, 156-163.

Makulilo, A., & Henry, R. (2024) From “Dar-es-Salaam” to “Brill”: Beyond the North-South Polarity in Publishing Scientific Journals. In: The African Review, 51, 1-20.

Pastory, P., & Makulilo, A. (2024) Guardians or disrupters? Peace discourses and politics in Tanzania. Canadian Journal of African Studies, 58, 443–464.

Makulilo, A. (2024) Negative Campaigning and Vote Choice: Rationale, Trends, and Future Research. In: International Political Science Abstracts, 74, 747-762.

G. Li and A. Makulilo (2024) Political Party Diplomacy: A Pillar for China - Tanzania Relations.  Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School Magazine, No. 4, 2024.

Makulilo, A., & Henry, R. (2024) Political Transformations in Africa. The African Review, 51,, 2024, 203-204.

Elklit, J., Makulilo, A. & Henry, R: Public trust in elections: the case of Zanzibar. SN Social Sciences 4, 2024, 1-18

Makulilo, A., Mehler, A., & Haji, M. (2024). Rooted in Society?: From “Elite” to “People-Centred” Power Sharing in Zanzibar. Africa Review, 16(4), 389-409. 

Makulilo, A. and X. Qijia (2024) The Hybrid Regime in Tanzania: Historical Trajectory and Contemporary Controversies. Area Studies 36, 34-65