Arol Dut
Arol Dut
Arol Dut is a Research Fellow at the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory, specialising in governance, development policy, and Africa–China cooperation. He is currently completing an MSc in Development Policy and Politics at the University of Birmingham as the sole 2024 recipient of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship, selected from over 15,000 applicants across Africa.
His research interests focus on governance reform, taxation and domestic resource mobilisation, institutional capacity, and youth and gender inclusion in fragile and post-conflict states. Arol is currently serving as a Research Assistant at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, where he contributes to the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) and other briefs, analysing governance indicators, policy frameworks, and continental trends to support evidence-based policymaking.
He previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, contributing to FCDO-commissioned rapid evidence reviews on governance, conflict, and the adoption of emerging technologies in low- and middle-income countries. In addition to evidence synthesis, Arol produces policy briefs on governance and inclusion, including work on the politics of inclusion in South Sudan with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, where he served as an Assistant Researcher to Professor Nic Cheeseman.
Before transitioning fully into policy research, Arol worked in South Sudan’s banking and private sectors, supporting financial inclusion initiatives, SME development, and partnerships with international institutions. He holds a First Class Honours degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and has published policy-relevant research on governance and development in Africa.