Development Studies Staff Profiles

Dean of Faculty of Social Science


Unisa Patrick Kamara

+23276524347 bhakitta@yahoo.com upkamara0803@unimak.edu.sl

Unisa Patrick Kamara is the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and also a lecturer in the department of Development Studies. He is a social worker, journalist and political commentator. Unisa Patrick Kamara has been a lecturer for over thirteen years at the University of Makeni, prior to becoming the Dean of the faculty; he served as the Head of the Department of Development Studies for ten years.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and a Master’s degree in Project management from the Sacred Hearts University in Italy. He is a current Ph.D. candidate in Sustainable Development at the University of Makeni. He is very passionate about teaching, promoting human rights issues, and in making the world a fair and just place for all. His areas of interest are local governance and community development.


Head of Department of Development Studies


Musa Sesay

+232523415 musasesay85@gmail.com

Musa Sesay is a social scientist, current head of Department of Development Studies, lecturer and a doctoral candidate in sustainable development at the University of Makeni (UniMak). He first worked as a Youth Volunteer at the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD-SL) in Makeni and assistant field researcher in several development related projects. He has also served as secretary to the Faculty of Social Sciences, teaching and research assistant in the department of Development Studies and secretary to the Postgraduate Board. His main areas of academic interest are corporate citizenship, rural livelihoods and natural resources extraction- namely artisanal small-scale mining (ASM), water resources, and timber logging.  Musa Sesay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management, Certificate in Electoral Administration and Civic Education and a Master of Arts degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Makeni.


Lecturers


Dr Jess Jones is a researcher and senior lecturer based at the University of Makeni (UniMak). Her research interests focus on how non-organic triggers of social change, namely violent conflict, large and small-scale mining, so-called ‘development’ projects and global pandemics, affect local people and how individuals respond to these effects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Sierra Leone in particular. Jess’s work is interdisciplinary, bringing together issues, theory and research methods in geography, international development and anthropology. Jess has presented her research at a number of international conferences. She has designed and taught modules – introduction to human geography, gender and natural resource management, disaster management, rural development, fieldwork classes and research methods – at undergraduate and master’s level at universities in the UK and Sierra Leone. She has been involved in a number of research projects and is currently working on a quality assurance solar energy project in collaboration with the University of Sheffieldand is a consultant for 3B impact researching the gendered aspects and potentials of the use of renewable energies in Sierra Leone. She is also the coordinator of the newly accredited PhD programmes at the University of Makeni.

Jess holds a PhD in International Development from the University of East Anglia, UK, a Master of Arts degree in International Development from the University of Sheffield, UK and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from King’s College London, UK.

Recent publication:

(2021) An Ethnographic Examination of People’s Reactions to State-Led COVID-19 Measures in Sierra Leone. The European Journal of Development Research. https://rdcu.be/ceBBZ


Alexander Chimange

+232 75 880061  zimccra@gmail.com

Alexander Chimange (PhD) is a socio-political scientist and governance specialist as well as a conflict manager lecturing in the department of Development Studies at the University of Makeni (UniMak), Makeni Sierra Leone. He has worked initially as an educator in a number of high schools, colleges and Universities in Zimbabwe before joining civil society. In this sector, he specialized in social researches, civic education, promotion of the rule of law, democratic and resource governance, human rights protection and awareness, democratic elections lobbying, peace building and conflict management both in Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone. Alexander Chimangeholdsa Bachelor of Education degree specializing in Geography and Environmental Studies (Superior Institute of Pedagogy Jose Varona, Cuba), a Master’s degree in Peace, Leadership and Governance (Africa University, Zimbabwe) and a PhD in political science specializing in democratic elections, good governance and conflict management (Freiburg University, Germany).


Rev. Fr. Peter Momodu Mansaray

+232 76 630367 frpetermansaray@yahoo.com

Rev. Fr. Peter Momodu Mansaray is a Roman Catholic Priest in the Diocese of Makeni, northern Sierra Leone. He is a lecturer in the department of Development Studies, University of Makeni.

He holds a Bachelor Degree in Philosophy and Humanities, Bachelor Degree in Sacred Theology and Divinity from the Urbaniana University, Italy, Rome; a Master of Arts Degree in Development Studies from the Kimmage Development Studies Centre, Dublin, Republic of Ireland and a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Makeni. Rev. Fr. Peter Momodu Mansaray has been an educationist for over 25 years serving as a teacher, principal and manager of Catholic schools across four Parishes.  Since 2015 to date, he has being serving as the Catholic Education Secretary.


Gerard Alex Sesay

+232 77 503003 gerardalexsesay@gmail.com

Gerard Alex Sesay is a social development worker and lecturer in the Development Studies department in the University of Makeni. He started his first professional career as a development practitioner with community Animation and development organization in 2003 and went up to the rank of a regional manager in the same organization. Currently, he serves as a project manager in the good governance research department of the University of Makeni; he has also contributed immensely to the capacity building of civil society organizations in the northern region of Sierra Leone. Gerard Alex Sesay holds a higher teachers certificate (H.T.C) in the secondary Education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in development studies and a masters of Arts degree in sustainable development from the University of Makeni. He also holds a certificate in pro-poor integrity from the central European university in Budapest Hungary.


Emmanuel Blackie Conteh

+232 88 915505 contehblackie@gmail.com 

Emmanuel Blackie Conteh is a Social Scientist and lecturer at the Department of Development Studies. He has worked in the office of affiliation and quality assurance and had also served as coordinator for the M. A.  Sustainable Development program at the school of postgraduate in the University of Makeni. His main areas of academic interest include food security among small farm holders and the effectiveness of agro-ecological innovation for addressing local and global food needs. Emmanuel Blackie Conteh holds a Higher Teacher Certificate in agriculture, Bachelor of education/Community development studies, diploma in project planning and management and a Master of Arts degree in Sustainable development from the University of Makeni.


Ibrahim Barrie

+232 79 201291 ibarrie44@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-barrie-202839104/

Ibrahim is a Lecturer and the Postgraduate Programme Coordinator for the Masters in Sustainable Development course at the University of Makeni. He teaches Public Policy and Social Research at the undergraduate level. He was appointed in October 2020 as the Academic Lead for the Open Distance and E-Learning Directorate at the University of Makeni.

His research interest includes public policy in developing countries, community resilience, and environmental sustainability. Ibrahim holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, MSc. in Public Policy from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and an MA. in Sustainable Development from the University of Makeni. Ibrahim is a 2017 Commonwealth Scholar and a 2021 Mandela Washington Fellow.

Publication:

Barrie, I. (2020). Politics in Sierra Leone is Becoming More Polarised. The Continent in partnership with Democracy in Africa: Issue 23, p24. Available at: http://democracyinafrica.org/the_continent_october-3/


Faculty Secretary for Social Science


Hassan Sherrif Conteh

+232 77 519988 +232 79 377556 hassankonteh2016@gmail.com

Hassan Sheriff Conteh is a former student from the department of Development Studies and is currently the faculty secretary for social sciences.  He holds a bachelor of art degree in Development Studies, certificate in informatics and computer, certificate in leadership training and empowerment and certificate in pedagogical training. He first worked as a volunteer at the Human Right Commission of Sierra Leone (HRC-SL) and Restless Development Sierra Leone (RD-SL) respectively.

Hassan Sheriff Conteh has also served in many capacities such as, student coordinator for the Upgrading the Neighbourhood Communities (UNC) program facilitated by the University of Makeni and Saint Pablo University in Spain; outreach officer for Campaign for National Unity (CNU) and secretary for the Peoples’ Foundation of Sierra Leone (PF-SL). His main areas of academic interest include post-election violence, national cohesion and sustainable development.


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