Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
Vice President and Associate Provost; Associate Professor of Political Science; Concurrent Associate Professor
213 Hesburgh Center for International Studies
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-7756
rdowd1@nd.edu
Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
Vice President and Associate Provost; Associate Professor of Political Science; Concurrent Associate Professor
Expertise
African politics; religion, politics, and development; ethnic politics; comparative democratization
At the Keough School
Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. is concurrent associate professor in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He is a faculty fellow of the Keough School’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
Research and Publications
Dowd’s research focuses on African politics and politics in developing countries focusing on the different ways religion and religious ideas are applied to politics. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Senegal. His work has sought to identify societal conditions that prompt religious leaders to encourage civic engagement and social tolerance.
He is author of several articles and the book Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa (Oxford University Press, June 2015).