Breanna Pearlman
Africa's Contemporary International Relations
Africa’s place in the world is changing rapidly: over the past two decades, a growing number of global powers, from China and Russia to Turkey and the UAE, have dramatically expanded their presence on the continent, reshaping long-standing relationships with traditional partners like the United States. I compiled original datasets tracking indicators of this shift across Africa, including foreign military deployments, diplomatic visits, and embassy openings since 1990, to build a comprehensive empirical picture of the continent’s evolving international landscape. This summer, I will conduct an in-depth case study of a single African country to examine how these broader continental trends have played out at the national level and understand what these trends reveal about African states’ ability to exercise strategic agency.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for your generous support. Africa has been the focus of my studies at Berkeley, and this fellowship gives me the opportunity to continue exploring a region I care deeply about while contributing to research that is both meaningful and timely. I am grateful for the chance to learn and grow as a researcher this summer, and I am truly thankful for your support in making it possible.