Olivier J. Walther is Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and an Assistant Professor in Geography at the University of Florida. At SDU, he is affiliated with both the Center for Border Region Studies (CBRS) and the Center for War Studies (CWS). 

In the last twelve years, my research has focused on the development of cross-border trade and the emergence of transnational political violence in West Africa. I have conducted fieldwork in Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Mauritania and Ghana. My research has pioneered the introduction of social network analysis to the study of borderlands in West Africa. I have served as a lead investigator or collaborator on externally funded research projects from the United Nations, NASA, the European Commission, the European Spatial Planning Observatory, the Danish Agency for Science and Technology and the Luxembourg National Research Fund.

Currently, I am coordinating the West Africa research program of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with a core objective to better understand trade and political insecurity in the region.

Research teaching areas

- Security and Conflict: Cross-border conflicts and terrorism in West Africa
- International Trade: Regional integration in West Africa
- Economic Geography: Cross-border city regions in Europe
- Quantitative Methods: Social Network Analysis

My personal website: https://olivierwalther.net/