Leyla Tiglay

Leyla Tiglay is an Ernest May Fellow in History at the Harvard Kennedy School, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She is also a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. She earned her Ph.D. in History from Ohio State University, specializing in the history of decolonization, the Cold War, and the history of technology. Her research combines the international history of Africa — including Middle East and North Africa — with Modern European history in a transnational context. Previously, Leyla was awarded predoctoral fellowships from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Bush School of Government's Center for Grand Strategy.

Leyla's project explores the influence of major decolonization crises on early Cold War nuclear politics, shaping the international nuclear regime known today. Her dissertation specifically examines the nexus of decolonization in European empires in Africa, France's nuclear tests in the Sahara, and anti-nuclear movements, all set against the backdrop of Great Power diplomacy. This project brings new insights into overlooked aspects of African colonial and postcolonial history, particularly those related to technology and nuclear politics affecting the continent. Her research blends grassroots historical forces in the decolonizing world with top-level nuclear diplomacy. As a scholar with an interdisciplinary background, Leyla aims to integrate African and Modern European history with elements of technology studies and international relations.

Currently, also a Research Affiliate at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Leyla holds M.A. degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Boston University's Department of Political Science. She completed her undergraduate education in International Relations at Istanbul University. Her research has garnered support from various institutions, including the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin and the Wilson Center's Nuclear Proliferation International History Project. Before embarking on her doctoral journey, Leyla worked and studied in several countries, including Türkiye, Belgium, Cameroon, and the United Kingdom.