Dr. Abubakar Abubakar Usman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, specializing in globalization, African politics, and Islamic finance. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and brings expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, and development economics, bridging academia and policy through his research and teaching. As a Senior Fellow at the Asia Middle East Centre for Research and Dialogue (AMEC), he leads the Africa Studies Circle, promoting cross-regional dialogue. His scholarly work appears in journals such as Global Society and Contemporary Islam, alongside contributed chapters on Islamic finance and African governance (Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan). A peer reviewer for Web of Science-indexed journals, he is currently writing two books, on Africa-Asia relations and on 21st-century coups in Africa. Beyond academia, Dr. Usman is a frequent commentator for Africa@LSE, Daily Trust, and The Conversation, analyzing ECOWAS, military populism, and Nigeria's foreign policy. He has taught at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and IIUM, and his fluency in English, Arabic, and Hausa has supported roles in translation and media engagement. Contact: abubakar.usman@um.edu.my | Profiles: Google Scholar | ORCID