Rate My Professor Alfred Babo

Alfred Babo, PhD, is Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology in the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield University. He concurrently serves as Director of the International Studies Program and Co-Director of the International Business program. Originating from Côte d'Ivoire, Dr. Babo is a sociologist by training whose interdisciplinary expertise encompasses political anthropology, policy anthropology, and African studies. His scholarship draws on personal experiences with African conflicts, contributing to conflict prevention efforts, including through engagement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Dr. Babo has published extensively on socio-political dynamics in Côte d'Ivoire, examining themes such as land disputes, ethnicity, public policy failures, child labor, and traditional conflict resolution mechanisms.

In June 2025, Dr. Babo acted as a Fulbright Specialist at Université Jean-Lorougnon-Guédé de Daloa in Côte d'Ivoire, introducing AI tools, practices, and governance frameworks. He delivered a public lecture on AI principles, convened conferences on AI in pedagogy, research, administration, and ethics, and provided hands-on training to 65 faculty members and 38 graduate students using tools like ChatGPT, Khan Academy, Quizlet, ChatPDF, Google Earth, and Python programming tailored to Ivorian contexts. Workshops resulted in draft syllabi and governance documents for an interdisciplinary AI module. Community outreach included radio discussions and a visit to Gonaté village on AI in agriculture, with 93% of faculty intending to integrate AI into their work. Future collaborations with Fairfield University include joint research in sustainability and exchanges. Dr. Babo edited Exiled Scholars in Western Academia: Refugees or Intellectuals? Reflections on the Paradox of Inclusion and Exclusion (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025). Select publications include Traditional Mechanisms of Conflict Resolution in Modern Africa: The Bodior Ritual and the Enduring Kroumen Versus Lobi-Dagara Conflict in Southern Côte D'Ivoire (African Study Monographs, 2018); Child Labor In Cocoa-Growing Communities In Côte D'Ivoire: Ways To Implement International Standards In Local Communities (2014); The Crisis of Public Policies in Côte d'Ivoire: Land Law and the Nationality Trap in Tabou's Rural Communities (Africa, 2013); and Failure of State and Management of Public Policy by the Young Patriots in Côte d'Ivoire (2009).