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Stephen Chan

Professor of World Politics, SOAS, University of London

Stephen Chan was awarded an OBE for "services to Africa and higher education" in the summer of 2010, alongside receiving the 2010 Eminent Scholar in Global Development award of the International Studies Association.

Professor Chan has published 27 books on international relations and more than 200 articles and reviews in the academic and specialist press, as well as over 100 journalistic feature articles. His books include Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power and Violence, Kaunda and Southern Africa: Image and Reality in Foreign Policy, and Citizen of Africa: Conversations with Morgan Tsvangirai. His most recent work is The End of Certainty: Towards a New Internationalism.

He participated in the transition to independence of Zimbabwe, the reconstruction of Uganda after the fall of Idi Amin, and also advised and trained government ministries in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Kenya. He established a consortium that trained the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately before and after independence in 1993. He was also part of a consortium that trained the parliamentarians and ministers of post-Dergue Ethiopia from 1998-9. From 2006-7 he was a member of the Africa-China-US Trilateral Dialogue, an effort to establish a common set of principles to help govern the emerging trade wars involving the three continents.

South Africa election: ANC’s lost majority ushers in a new era of coalition politics

Jun 04, 2024 06:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

From the moment this years South African general election was called, through the whole campaign, the main question everyone here was asking was whether the African National Congress (ANC) could extend its 30-year...

Why the upcoming South African election a massive milestone for the ruling ANC

May 24, 2024 03:43 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

South Africans governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), is in trouble. After 30 years in charge, it is scrambling for support ahead of the upcoming national elections. The ANC has run the country since the...

Russia rekindles old friendship with South Africa, its ally against apartheid

Jan 25, 2023 04:42 am UTC| Politics

The recent announcement that the South African, Russian and Chinese navies will conduct joint exercises off the east coast of South Africa between February 17 and 27, has alarmed the United States. Washington has condemned...

Zambia: debt, unpaid salaries and a poor harvest have sown seeds of crisis

May 02, 2019 17:46 pm UTC| Insights & Views

In the volatile landscape of southern Africa, Zambia is often overlooked. It played a huge role in the liberation struggles of its neighbours. The ANC, banned in South Africa by the apartheid government, established its...

New hope in Nigeria, but Zimbabwe struggles with the same old problems

Dec 04, 2018 16:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

There has been a sense of transition in both Nigeria and Zimbabwe recently. In Nigeria, Obiageli Oby Ezekwesili launched her presidential election campaign. She is not expected to win in the 2019 election. At best, she...

Zimbabwe: troubled nation now faces tough foreign policy choices

Oct 04, 2018 14:34 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

The toxic presidency of Mugabe may be over, but the new Zimbabwean government of Emerson Mnangagwa must quickly make some hard foreign policy decisions if it is to change the countrys fortunes. For so far no major foreign...

Economy

India Plans Tax Reforms to Boost Foreign Investment and Manufacturing

Indias government is preparing a new package of tax reforms designed to attract foreign investment and strengthen the countrys manufacturing sector, according to a Bloomberg News report citing people familiar with the...

Japan Economy Minister Downplays Inflation Risks Despite BOJ Warning

Japans Economy Minister Minoru Kiuchi said consumer price increases remain moderate despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, suggesting that inflationary pressures are still under control even as the Bank...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Retreats, Traders Eye U.S.-Iran Talks and Fed Data

Asian currencies traded in mixed fashion on Tuesday as investors remained cautious over conflicting signals surrounding potential U.S.-Iran negotiations, while attention shifted to a busy week of U.S. economic data that...

Asian Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Returns, Australia Hits Record High Ahead of RBI Decision

Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Tuesday as investors cautiously returned to technology stocks after Julys AI-driven selloff, while Australias strong gains helped offset weakness in Japan and Hong Kong. Improved...

25 Democratic-Led States Sue Trump Administration Over New Global Tariffs

A coalition of 25 Democratic-led U.S. states has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trumps latest round of global tariffs, arguing that the administration exceeded its legal authority by imposing broad import...

Politics

Trump Urges Exxon, Chevron to Cut Gas Prices After Record Oil Profits

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized ExxonMobil and Chevron for earning massive profits from elevated oil prices, urging the energy giants to lower fuel costs and return some of their gains to American consumers....

Brown University President Christina Paxson to Step Down After Clashes With Trump Administration

Brown University President Christina Paxson announced on Monday that she will step down at the end of the current academic year, concluding a tenure marked by major challenges, including a high-profile dispute with...

US Supreme Court Lets $655.5 Million Judgment Against Palestinian Authorities Stand During Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to temporarily block a $655.5 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), allowing the damages award to remain in effect while...

North Korea Rejects U.S. Cyber Threat Claims, Slams Allied Warning

North Korea has dismissed recent accusations by the United States and its allies over alleged cyber activities, calling them politically motivated and aimed at justifying pressure on sovereign nations. According to state...

US State Department Plans to Close Five Foreign Missions in Global Diplomatic Restructuring

The U.S. State Department has informed Congress that it intends to close five overseas diplomatic missions as part of a broader effort to streamline Americas diplomatic network under the Trump administration, according to...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apple Restores Telegram to App Store After Content Policy Violation

Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store after a review found content that violated its App Store guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the company confirmed on Monday. The messaging platform...

SK Hynix Bonus Dispute Deepens as Union Rejects Stock-Based Payout Proposal

SK Hynix and representatives of one of its South Korean labor unions resumed negotiations on Tuesday, holding a fifth round of talks over the semiconductor companys employee bonus structure at its Cheongju manufacturing...

Palantir Stock Soars as AI Demand Drives Strong Q2 Earnings and Higher 2026 Outlook

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) surged in after-hours trading on Monday after reporting stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raising its full-year 2026 guidance, fueled by accelerating demand for its...

Vast Eyes Hong Kong IPO as Chinese AI Unicorn Gains Momentum

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Vast is reportedly exploring a potential initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong, signaling growing investor interest in Chinas fast-expanding AI sector. According to a Bloomberg...

Telegram Restored on Apple App Store After Temporary Removal

Telegram has confirmed that its messaging app is once again available on Apples App Store after users briefly encountered an unexpected outage that removed the app listing. The company announced on Monday that the issue...