Dr. Maria Enow Ayuk is a Cameroonian-born peace and security scholar whose work bridges academic research, policy engagement, and grassroots activism. She holds a Ph.D. in Global Studies from the University of Leipzig, with research on the political economy of peacebuilding and the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.

Currently a postdoctoral researcher and coordinator of the KnowGlobal Project at the University of Magdeburg, Dr. Ayuk focuses on climate security, sustainability, and the transfer of locally grounded knowledge across Central and West Africa. Her past roles include serving as a Bonn SDG Fellow at the University of Bonn’s Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies, where she examined the nexus between climate change, security, and migration in the Sahel.

Beyond academia, she is the founder of Youth Renaissance Africa, an NGO advancing the social and economic integration of African migrants and refugees in Europe through capacity-building initiatives, cultural exchange, and leadership training. Her efforts earned her the Africans Rising Honorary Award 2023 for Activism in the Diaspora.

Dr. Ayuk is a member of FemWise-Africa, the African Union’s network of women mediators, and actively contributes to African policy dialogues on conflict prevention, gender inclusion, and sustainable development. She is also affiliated with the DAAD Africa Alumni Network and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.