Florian Schaefer

Dr. Florian Schaefer is a Lecturer in International Development at King's College London, based in the Department of International Development within the School of Global Affairs. He joined King's in December 2022 and is also a Visiting Fellow at the Open University. His research focuses on the political economy of development, transnational investment projects, and global labour dynamics. He holds a PhD in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London (2017) and held postdoctoral positions at SOAS, LSE, and the Open University. His work combines mixed methods, including survey data and qualitative interviews.

• Education:
• PhD in Development Studies, SOAS (2017)
• Postdoctoral Researcher at SOAS, LSE, and Open University
• Research Interests:
• Job quality in low/middle-income countries
• Chinese transnational infrastructure investments
• Global value chains and production networks
• African economic development
• Teaching:
• Undergraduate: Transition, Emergence and Development in Africa
• Postgraduate: Global Labour and Development

His recent publications analyze Chinese investments in Europe, wage disparities in African manufacturing, and Ethiopian coffee sector performance. He collaborates with research groups focusing on global capitalism, production networks, and Chinese investments. Florian advises PhD students on topics like state-led development and infrastructure politics.