Bathily holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham and Doctor of State from University Cheikh Anta Diop.[2] He has written and published multiple works on African history and politics, including Mai 68 à Dakar la révolte universitaire et la Démocratie in 1992 and The Military and Militarism in Africa (co-edited with Eboe Hutchful) in 1998.[2][3]