Science at FSV UK: Bohumil Doboš about his research on the geopolitics of space and the political power in sub-Saharan Africa
Science at FSV UK: Bohumil Doboš about his research on the geopolitics of space and the political power in sub-Saharan Africa
The geopolitics of space and the distribution of political power in sub-Saharan Africa – these were the topics that first captured the interest of Bohumil Doboš from the Institute of Political Studies during his early years at FSV UK. He gradually found a deeper interest in them, which led him to a career as a researcher after completing his doctoral studies. Today, he is recognized as one of the Czech leading experts on space security or African politics, recently successfully completed his habilitation procedure and is already planning further research trips to Africa.
At the beginning of his research career, Doboš dealt with the New Middle Age theory. This led him to an interest in territorial issues of the activities of violent non-state actors and subsequently in territorial aspects of political power outside the modern “state” system. “Given the nature of today’s political map, it was only a small step from there to a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa,” he explains.
His current research focuses on Russian activities in Africa, which he believes are often only superficially investigated. In his opinion, current events on the international political scene are affecting and will continue to affect Africa very significantly. “African states are in a weaker position compared to regional and global powers. The powers do not attribute a privileged position to the continent and operate here more unscrupulously. This also helps us understand the core of their interests and methods of operation in other regions,” he emphasizes.
