Last modified on Thu 3 Jun 2021 13.13 EDT
My friend Simon Massey, who has died aged 59 of cancer, was an accomplished lecturer in international relations at Coventry University who always prioritised his students. Although he was made an assistant professor, he believed his original title – senior lecturer – better reflected his job. Many of his students went on to have successful careers in international relations.
Simon’s academic expertise and publications were primarily on African security, irregular migration from Africa and the politics of Madagascar, Comoros/Mayotte, Chad and Guinea-Bissau. Policymakers, fellow academics and the media benefited from his insights and collegiality: recently he briefed senior Irish and British diplomats on the Comoros and advised on a multi-stakeholder consultation on Madagascar for the World Bank. He also established a partnership with the Africa programme of the thinktank Chatham House.