Dr. Nicholas Sambanis

Biography

Nicholas Sambanis is the Kalsi Family Professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University, specializing in civil wars, ethnic conflict, and the politics of migration. With a teaching background at the University of Pennsylvania from 2016 to 2023 and at Yale from 2001 to 2016, he has also worked with the World Bank's Development Economics Research Group between 1999 and 2001. His research combines theories and methods from international relations, comparative politics, and political psychology to explore how identity formation affects conflict outcomes. As the founder and faculty director of the Identity & Conflict Lab, he leads investigations into both violent and non-violent inter-group conflicts, focusing on the dynamics of social identities and their influence on individual behavior. His current work examines how conflicts alter identities and how targeted interventions can mitigate intergroup tensions, particularly in contexts of native-immigrant relations.

Research Interests

Experience