Prof. Celestine Oyom Bassey

MBBS (Sydney), FRACS (Paediatric Surgery)

Celestine Oyom Bassey is a professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies in the Department of Political Science, University of Calabar, Calabar. He is currently the Director of Studies at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. He obtained a Ph.D in International Relations and Strategic Studies at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada (1984) after preliminary B.A. (Hons) degree in Politics at Lancaster University, United Kingdom (1980). He joined the services of the University of Calabar in 1985 as Lecturer II and rose through the ranks to professorial cadre in 1999. Celestine has been teaching and researching in the Department. He has also served the University in several capacities including Head of Department of Political Science (1989-1991 and 2001-2003), Sub Dean of the Faculty of Social Science (1996-1998), Member, University of Calabar Council (2010-2014), and several Senate and Council Committees. Prof. Bassey has contributed to the graduation of students at undergraduate and post graduate levels. He has to date supervised and co-supervised over thirty graduate students including nineteen Ph.Ds. Prof. Bassey has authored and co-authored over fifty publications spread across both local and international peer review journals, over twenty book chapters and ten textbooks. He has also presented many scholarly papers at several local and international conferences and has also served as lead speaker at several fora. Prof. Bassey was the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the Nigerian Political Science Association (1989). He is a recipient of several awards including Peel Studentship Award (1978), Killam Fellowship (1981 – 1984), Fulbright Fellowship (2009–2010), and many others. He is a member of many professional associations including Nigerian Political Science Association, International Studies Association, and so many others. Prof. Bassey has served as Commissioner for Education in Cross River State between 2003 and 2007, Chairman of Council of the defunct Polytechnic Calabar, Coordinator of Strategic Conflict Assessment of the Niger Delta Geopolitical Zone under the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja (2000-2002), Consultant to Economic Commission of West African States on Early Warning Systems and Security Harmonisation and many other positions, He is presently supervising four Ph.D students. He is a happily married. .