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. With a PhD in International Relations from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, and development economics, he bridges academia and policy through rigorous research and teaching. As a Senior Fellow at the Asia Middle East Centre for Research and Dialogue (AMEC), Dr. Usman leads the Africa Studies Circle, promoting cross-regional dialogue. His scholarly work appears in journals like Global Society and Contemporary Islam, and he has contributed to books on Islamic finance and African governance (Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan). A peer reviewer for Web of Science journals, he is currently writing two books on Africa-Asia relations and 21st-century coups in Africa. Beyond academia, Dr. Usman is a frequent commentator in 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 multilingual skills (English, Arabic, Hausa) have supported roles in translation and media engagement. Contact: abubakar.usman@um.edu.my | Profiles: Google Scholar | ORCID