Heidi Hudson is Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Hudson's current research interests concentrate on discursive and material gender deficits of liberal peacebuilding in the postcolony. Over the years she has contributed several chapters in books and has published numerous articles in, amongst others, International Peacekeeping, Security Dialogue, Security Studies, Politikon, Agenda, Strategic Review for Southern Africa and African Security Review. She is co-editor of International Feminist Journal of Politics. Heidi Hudson is past president of the South African Political Studies Association, and since 2012 she has been an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Heidi has held several fellowships, such as Fulbright, as well as at the Nordic Africa Institute and the University of Calgary, Canada and serves on the editorial board of International Peacekeeping, Politikon, Africa Insight and the Journal of African Union Studies. She is co-editor and co-author of Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development in Africa: Concepts, role-players, policy and practice (University of Cape Town Press, 2013), with Theo Neethling. Heidi holds a doctorate in Strategic Studies from the University of the Free State. She was a PRIO Global Fellow from 2014 - 31 January 2017.