Patrick Kofi Benyin is a development and peacebuilding practitioner and researcher with a background in youth leadership, research, and community engagement. Before coming to Minnesota, he served as the Public Relations Officer and Director of Membership of the African Young Leaders Foundation, where he works with young people across Africa to build connections, facilitate dialogue, and support youth-led initiatives. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the Protestant University of Rwanda, contributing to research on peacebuilding, higher education, and social transformation. His research explores questions around how African societies respond to conflict, migration, identity, and the legacies of colonialism, with a growing interest in how African institutions and young people can shape more inclusive forms of development. At Minnesota, he hopes to deepen this work by bringing together his experience in research and Pan-African youth engagement with the practice of development.