Dr. Obiora Okafor

Biography

Professor Obiora Chinedu Okafor is the Edward B. Burling Chair at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His research focuses on international law, international human rights law, and immigration/refugee law. Okafor has an extensive academic background, having taught at institutions including Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, Carleton University, and the University of Nigeria. He has served as a visiting scholar at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Law School and the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg. His contributions to human rights have been recognized through his role as a UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and participation in various expert panels. Okafor has won several awards for his scholarship, including the Award of Excellence from the Canadian Association of Law Teachers and the Gold Medal for Exceptional Research from the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. His published works include books on refugee law and the African human rights system, alongside numerous articles in leading journals. He also serves as the founding General Editor of the Transnational Human Rights Review and sits on the editorial boards of multiple scholarly periodicals. His expertise covers topics such as public international law, international migration law, and regional law, particularly in the context of Africa and Canada.

Research Interests