Scholarly Interests:

My research interests are great power and middle power geopolitics, foreign policy, and diplomacy. My current research focuses on the foreign policy and diplomatic posture of middle powers in the contemporary three-way geopolitical competition between the United States, China, and Russia. My teaching interests include international relations and global politics.

Selected Scholarly Activity:

Adela, Gershon. “A Force for the Right Purpose? Rethinking Western COIN Interventions in Africa’s Sahel.” Journal of Military and Strategic Studies 22, no. 3 (2023): 60-92. https://jmss.org/article/view/77361/56697

Adela, Gershon. “Institutional Counterinsurgency Frameworks in the Lake Chad Basin: The case of the Multinational Joint Task Force Against Boko Haram.” Defense and Security Analysis 39, no. 1 (2023): 91-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/14751798.2023.2166520

Adela, Gershon. “‘Small Fires Causing Large Fires:’” The rise of Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria and its Transnational Posture in the Lake Chad Basin.” The Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare 4, no. 2 (2021): 46-67. https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/jicw/article/view/2952/3011

Adela, Gershon. “An Overview of the Boko Haram Conflict in Northeastern Nigeria.” In Modern African Conflicts: An Encyclopedia of Civil Wars, Revolutions, and Terrorism, edited by Timothy Stapleton, 51-54. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 2022

Adela, Gershon. “Air Superiority in Contemporary African Conflicts.” In African Airpower: The Evolution and Operation of Airpower in Africa, edited by Charles G. Thomas and Carl P. Watts. Air University Press. (Forthcoming)

Selected Grants, Honours and Awards:

• Canada Graduate Scholarships - SSHRC Doctoral Award, 2025-2027
• Mobilizing Insights in Defense and Security (MINDS) Scholarships Initiative, 2024-2025