Professor William Akoto is the latest addition to the SIS faculty, joining us this spring from his previous position in the Department of Political Science at Fordham University. Akoto is in our Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security. In his research, Akoto primarily focuses on examining the dynamics of interstate cyber conflict, particularly how states leverage cyber and other emerging technologies in the pursuit of national security objectives. Related to this central theme, he also studies the political economy dynamics of international trade and military coups, with a focus on the broad links between the global economy and the domestic political environment.

Originally from Ghana, Akoto earned his PhD in political science from the University of South Carolina, and he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and the One Earth Future Foundation. He has taught at both the University of South Carolina and the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa.

With a self-stated passion for undergraduate education, Akoto writes, “My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that the best way to assess progress and mastery of any new material—both for the student and the teacher—is constant feedback.”

He continues, “I focus on three objectives in my course design: providing the relevant theoretical framework for understanding key interactions among the relevant actors; encouraging awareness of current events and tying these events to the theoretical base; and fostering analytical skills to evaluate arguments and empirical observations.”

Welcome to SIS, Professor William Akoto!