Asia Expertise Guide

Dr Florian Wiedmann

As an academic architect specialized in investigating emerging cities from an international and interdisciplinary perspective, I have been involved in research, practice and teaching in Western Asia since 2006. My main focus has been the rapid urban transformation due to international migration in the Persian Gulf region. From 2011 to 2018 my research was funded by Qatar Foundation and one of the main areas of my expertise is the space production of knowledge economies in the context of rapid urban growth. In recent years, I have also established new links to institutions in India, Nepal and Vietnam.

Architecture and Built Environment Business and economy Cultures History Migration Cities Persian Gulf GCC urbanism Sustainable development goals governanace

Dr Vengadeshvaran Sarma

Development, impact evaluation, and policy research. Current research focuses on Entrepreneurs with disabilities, Social entrepreneurship, Anti-slavery practices in global supply chains, Charitable giving and donor behaviour, Sustainable development and land acquisition, Education reforms. The current geographic focus is primarily on Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Laos), and South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh).

Business and economy Education Migration agriculture Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Sustainable development goals anti-slavery sustainable development education disabilities migration

Dr Simon Roberts

PI on International Social Security Association study of gaps in social protection including Australia, India and Thailand. Senior EU Expert on EU-China Social Security Reform Co-operation Project, Senior EU Expert providing technical assistance for capacity building in social security for Turkey. Co-Investigator (Policy and Governance) on Leverhulme Trust Sustainable Urban Habitats programme with empirical data from Shanghai.

0115 846 7767

Environment Gender Law Migration social policy social security pensions healthcare EU law institutional capacity building Governance Evaluation China Thailand turkey India

Dr Pauline Eadie

The Philippines, including politics, corruption, elections and 'People Power'; poverty ie. urban housing, population growth land reform; security including the Mindanao situation and terrorism, counter-terrorism and the Abu Sayyaf group; religion; the United States/Philippines relationship; migrant workers ie. overseas foreign workers. Disaster relief and rehabilitation.

+44 (0) 7759544100

Environment International Relations Migration Politics politics Philippines Corruption election population terroism overseas disaster relief

Dr Esther Bott

'Niche' tourism markets and how local people negotiate them. Expertise in ethnographic research on: orphanage tourism in Nepal; 'tribal' tourism in Vietnam; adventure tourism in Nepal, Thailand (and Jordan and Patagonia). Currently working on a project exploring micro-finance, children's health and women's 'empowerment' in poor communities in Bihar, India.

07985 652 137

Cultures Gender Migration Sociology Tourism poverty power dignity Asia tribal tourism adventure tourism micro-finance women health

Professor Michèle Clarke

The environment, climate and ecology of the Asia-Pacific region for the last 30 years, including the complexity of their interactions with society, heritage and cultures. Recent themes have included agriculture and rural development; cultural and built heritage; low carbon and clean energy; rapid urbanisation and sustainable cities; and the energy-water-food nexus.

0115 951 5446

Archaeology Architecture and Built Environment Cultures Education Energy Engineering Environment Gender History Migration Science Veterinary climate society sustainable development energy ecosystems Cities Water agriculture heritage Asia

Dr Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan

I am scholar from the Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), my focus is the international law and human rights from a decolonial perspective. I have written on the United Nations human rights engagement with Sri Lanka which was published in 2019: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811373497. I have been invited to talks via webinars during the pandemic but also before predominantly by Global South institutions in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. I consider myself as expert in the area in its interdisciplinary approach.

00353838364691

Cultures History International Relations Law Migration Security Sociology Governance human rights Identity and Rights colonialism nationalism Racism Third World elitism post-colonialism

Dr Oana Burcu

I am currently developing further my expertise in the determinants of migrants' vulnerabilities and forced labour, while maintaining my pre-existent interest and expertise in nationalism, diasporic communities, China's foreign policy and Asia-Pacific security.

Belt and Road Initiative History International Relations Migration Politics Sociology War and security human rights Identity and Rights

Dr Melissa Yoong

I research and publish in the area of language, gender, employment, family care and female economic migration in Southeast Asia. My work critically examines how text and talk in institutional, media and public domains contribute to and present gender inequalities as natural and even desirable.

Business and economy Gender Migration Politics Sociology Identity and Rights Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dr Sabina Lawreniuk

Labour rights and working conditions in the garment industry; Global value chains / global production networks; Trade and development; Gender and development; Cambodian politics and economy.

Business and economy Gender Migration Politics Trade Governance human rights Sustainable development goals

Professor Stephen Timmons

Health services management & organisation, health service reform, implementation science, health care workforce, migrant health care workers.

Business and economy Health and Medicine Migration Sociology

Dr Ruth Maxey

20th-century and contemporary American literature, especially fiction; Asian American studies; immigrant writing in the United States; American autobiography as a form.

+44 (0) 115 846 8119 , +44 (0) 7742 919 769

Arts and Culture Cultures Migration American Literature fiction asian Contemporary Immigrant United States

Dr Luke Emeka Okafor

Economic issues that relate to international trade, regional connectivity, digital transformation, tourism economics, development process, and industrial organization with a specific focus on how firms, industries, and countries respond to globalization and shocks. This includes investigating the interplay between digitalization, economic resilience, and performance as well as COVID-19 effects on firms, industries, and economies.

+6 (03) 8725 3716

Belt and Road Initiative Business and economy Cultures Education Energy Environment Gender Migration Trade Corruption Governance human rights Identity and Rights Sustainable development goals

Professor Cong Cao

Science and technology policy; innovation and entrepreneurship; talent; biotechnology; nanotechnology.

Belt and Road Initiative Business and economy Migration Science Sociology Governance

Professor Michele Geraci

15 years experience in China/Asia policy research, first as head of China at Global Policy Institute London, then head of China Economic Research af Nottingham Uni, Ningbo. Advised western Governments on China policy, trade policy, international relations, china-Eu, China-US relations, China-EU investment agreement.

+86 139 6712 1554

Belt and Road Initiative Business and economy China Energy Environment International Relations Migration Politics Trade War and security Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agriculture human rights

Dr Michal Lemanski

Responsible Leadership in Asia, Responsible Consumption in Asia, E-Waste in Asia

Belt and Road Initiative Business and economy Education Migration Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Migration