Elton Skendaj

Elton Skendaj studies how domestic and international partners can strengthen democratic institutions, foster active public engagement, uphold the rule of law, reduce corruption, and use nonviolent means to prevent and resolve conflicts. He is on the faculty of the Government Department at Georgetown University where he serves as the Director of the Democracy and Governance M.A. Program. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Global Governance, Problems of Postcommunism, and Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding. Dr. Skendaj has provided leadership and technical expertise on practitioner projects with the United Nations, U.S. Institute of Peace, Hague Appeal for Peace, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Wilson Center, and the Open Society Institute. He has also served as an analyst for Freedom House and as President of the Society for Albanian Studies. His work has appeared on NPR and Voice of America.

As an instructor, Skendaj enjoys using various participatory tools to engage students, including discussion, simulations, and design papers. His commitment to teaching excellence reflects a deep belief that critical thinking and active participation in the learning process help students become thought leaders and practitioners. Skendaj has received teaching awards and fellowships at the University of Miami and Cornell University.

Prior to joining the Democracy and Governance program at Georgetown, Dr. Skendaj served as the inaugural Gladdys Muir Professor of Peace Studies at Manchester University in Indiana. He also previously taught in Comparative Politics and International Relations at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tirana, Albania. He was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Notre Dame Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and a Research Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Dr. Skendaj holds a BA in Political Science from American University in Bulgaria, an MA in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University.