Dr Siphumelele Duma is a Specialist Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Pretoria, where he also completed an MA in Diplomatic Studies. He has published numerous peer-reviewed scholarly works, including books, book chapters, and journal articles. His research interests include the Political Economy of Regional Integration in Africa, Intra-BRICS Cooperation, and South-South Cooperation.