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Esther DufloView profile

Professor

• Development Economics
• Poverty Alleviation
• Health
• +7 more

Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), holds the Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France, and serves as President of the Paris School of Economics. Her research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty to help design and evaluate social policies. Her work spans multiple domains including: Development Economics Poverty Alleviation strategies Health interventions Educational programs Financial inclusion initiatives Environmental policy Governance improvements Duflo revolutionized developmental economics by pioneering the use of randomized controlled trials to test poverty reduction measures. Her empirical approach has challenged conventional opinions about development and has helped improve the efficient use of resources in poverty alleviation programs worldwide. She co-authored the influential books "Poor Economics" and "Good Economics for Hard Times" with Abhijit Banerjee, demonstrating through field experiments how specific interventions (like providing lentils to mothers for child immunization) can dramatically improve social outcomes. Her notable scientific achievements include: Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship (2009) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Duflo has established J-PAL as a global network of over a hundred affiliated professors who use scientific evidence to inform policy decisions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL has offices across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and South and Southeast Asia. Her work has demonstrated the crucial importance of information in policymaking, with numerous field experiments showing how carefully designed interventions can have significant impacts on social outcomes across multiple domains including health, education, and economic opportunity.

• Machine Learning
• Computer Vision
• Data Mining
• +6 more

Dr. Chang Xu is an Associate Professor in Machine Learning and Computer Vision at the University of Sydney's School of Computer Science. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Tianjin University and a PhD from Peking University. His research focuses on machine learning, data mining, and their applications in AI and computer vision, including multi-view learning, visual search, and face recognition. He is an ARC Future Fellow and a member of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and The Net Zero Institute. Education: B.E. in Engineering (Tianjin University), Ph.D. in Computer Science (Peking University). His research interests emphasize handling heterogeneous data, exploring data variety, and developing algorithms for robust AI systems. His work includes adversarial robustness, neural architecture search, and efficient deep learning models. Research trends in his articles include adversarial robustness in neural architectures, efficient vision transformers, multimodal 3D style transfer, and underwater image restoration. Key contributions span image restoration, video super-resolution, and lightweight network design. He has advised multiple PhD and master's students on topics like diffusion models, radar image synthesis, and graph similarity. Awards: ARC Future Fellow. Collaborations focus on cross-domain data integration and AI applications. His labs and teams explore generative models, robust learning, and scalable robotics policies. Recent work includes diffusion models for action segmentation and robust vision-language systems.

• Linguistics
• Descriptive Linguistics
• Documentary Linguistics
• +7 more

Mark Post is a Senior Lecturer and Honours Coordinator in the Discipline of Linguistics at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of Sydney. He also serves as Deputy Head of School (Humanities) and is affiliated with the China Studies Centre, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, and The Vere Gordon Childe Centre. His educational background includes a BA Hons from Wesleyan University, an MA from the University of Oregon, and a PhD from La Trobe University. Dr. Post's research focuses on describing and explaining the typologies and relationships among Greater Mainland Southeast Asian and Himalayan languages. His descriptive work relies exclusively on primary field data, with interests in improving fieldwork methodologies. He approaches linguistic explanation from a functional-diachronic perspective, viewing language as a dynamic process whose structures emerge from patterns of discourse and interaction. His extensive publication record reveals a strong focus on Eastern Himalayan languages, particularly Tani languages, with research spanning linguistic typology, historical linguistics, and language documentation. Key themes include classifiers, deixis, applicatives, and the ethnolinguistic prehistory of the Eastern Himalaya across more than 50 publications since 2004. His notable recognition includes: 2011 Recipient of the Association for Linguistic Typology's Pāṇini Award Dr. Post has supervised research students including Chintan SHETH on ethno-linguistic prehistory in the Eastern Himalaya. His grant history includes significant projects such as 'Pseudo grains and adaptiveness in the Eastern Himalayas' (ARC, 2023), 'Center for Cultural Linguistic Diversity - Eastern Himalayas' (Firebird Foundation, 2022), and 'A Documentation of the Upper Belt variety of Minyong (Adi)' (Endangered Languages Documentation Programme). He is a life member of the Galo Language Development Committee (Arunachal Pradesh, India) and actively participates in the Association for Linguistic Typology, Australian Linguistic Society, and North East Indian Linguistics Society.

Katherine BrickellView profile

Professor

• Social Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Historical Geography
• +10 more

Katherine Brickell is Professor of Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), where she serves as Research Lead for the Department of Geography. She is editor of the journal Gender, Place and Culture and former Chair of the RGS-IBG Gender and Feminist Geographies Research Group. Her work spans social, political, development, urban and legal geography with a feminist orientation. Brickell's research centers on three interconnected themes: home and home unmaking, labor precarity, and feminist legal geographies. Her longstanding interest in the domestic sphere and home unmaking aims to reaffirm the home as a political entity. Her monograph Home SOS: Gender, Violence and Survival in Crisis Ordinary Cambodia brings together 15 years of research on domestic violence and forced eviction. Since 2017, she has conducted collaborative work in London and Dublin on modular housing for homeless families. She has also led significant research on labor conditions in Cambodia, including the ESRC-DFID funded 'Blood Bricks' project (2016-2019) studying climate change impacts on rural families migrating to brick kilns. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on debt, microfinance, and climate vulnerability in Cambodia, with multiple 2022-2024 articles examining how over-indebtedness intersects with social reproduction and climate adaptation. Her work consistently applies feminist lenses to understand spatial dimensions of power, particularly in Southeast Asia. Brickell has published in top journals including Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers , Progress in Human Geography , Antipode , and Annals of the American Association of Geographers . Gill Memorial Award (2014) Philip Leverhulme Prize (2016) Times Higher Education Research Project of the Year (2020) Brickell has supervised numerous doctoral students and mentored postdoctoral fellows working on topics including remittances during COVID-19, climate mobilities, moral geographies of garment work, and women's experiences with domestic violence. Her research has been funded by ESRC-DFID, UKRI GCRF, and the Urban Studies Foundation, among others. She collaborates extensively with colleagues in Cambodia and across Europe, with current projects examining climate resilience, credit-taking, and nutrition in Cambodia and South India, as well as the economic impacts of the pandemic on Cambodian garment workers.

• Natural Language Processing
• Large Language Models
• Digital Libraries
• +7 more

Min Yen Kan is an Associate Professor and Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the National University of Singapore's School of Computing, Department of Computer Science. With a PhD from Columbia University (2002), he leads the Web Information Retrieval / Natural Language Processing Group (WING.NUS) and serves as ACL Ethics Committee co-chair. His research spans Natural Language Processing , Large Language Models , Digital Libraries , and Information Retrieval , with specific focus on scientific discourse analysis, fact verification, and multimodal systems. Current projects include Scholarly Document Information Extraction (TRL 6), Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems (TRL 4), and Recommendation Systems (TRL 5). Recent publications reveal strong trends in LLM limitations (bias, hallucination, evaluation), conversational recommendation systems , and misinformation detection . His work consistently bridges theoretical NLP with real-world applications in digital libraries and scientific communication. Award highlights include: CIKM 2019 Best Paper Award ACL Distinguished Service Awards Vannevar Bush Best Paper Award (JCDL 2012) ACM Distinguished Speaker designation Kan mentors PhD students with placements at Google and USTC, and serves as associate editor for Information Retrieval and survey editor for Journal of AI Research . His lab WING.NUS develops practical tools like SciWING for scientific document processing and FANG for fake news detection. Media engagements include commentary on AI regulations in Southeast Asia and workforce implications in the AI era.

Silvia VESCOView profile

Associate Professor

• Japanese Art History
• Edo Period Art
• Ukiyo-e Prints
• +7 more

Dr. Silvia VESCO is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, where she specializes in Japanese art history, particularly Edo-period visual culture, ukiyo-e prints, illustrated books, and the works of Katsushika Hokusai. She is actively involved in research, teaching, and cultural curation, with a strong focus on Italian collections of Japanese art and cross-cultural artistic dialogues between Japan and the West. Education: PhD in History of Indian and East Asian Art, Ca' Foscari University of Venice (1999) Master in Art & Archaeology, SOAS, University of London (1995) Degree in Oriental Languages and Literatures, University of Venice (1993, with honors) Her research interests encompass Japanese aesthetics, museum studies, and the global reception of Japanese art. She has led major digitization projects for the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice and contributed to the development of its new museological framework. Her scholarly work reveals a consistent focus on Hokusai, Edo-period print culture, and the philosophical dimensions of Japanese visual forms. The recent publications highlight a deep engagement with Hokusai’s pedagogical works, the aesthetics of emptiness, and contemporary reflections on nature in post-Fukushima Japan. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges art history, cultural studies, and museum practice. Scientific Recognition: Finalist, Premio Nazionale per la divulgazione scientifica 'Giancarlo Dosi' (2020) Japan Foundation Fellowship (1997) Postgraduate scholarship from the University of Venice (1994) She has supervised numerous MA theses, served on PhD committees, and mentored students in Japanese art history. Her research has been supported by grants from the Japan Foundation and institutional collaborations with museums and cultural centers. She is a referee for VQR, Edizioni Ca' Foscari, and international journals, and serves on the scientific committees of several academic and museum publications. Labs and Teams: Scientific Committee, Museum of Oriental Art, Ca' Pesaro, Venice Scientific Committee, Edizioni Ca' Foscari Coordinator, Scientific Committee for Ca' Foscari Japanese Studies, Arts and Literature Member of the editorial board of 'Venezia Arti' and 'Quaderni del Polo museale del Veneto'

Engseng HoView profile

Professor

• Indian Ocean Studies
• Diaspora Studies
• Global History
• +6 more

Engseng Ho is a Professor of Cultural Anthropology and former Professor of History at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences since 2008. His work focuses on Arab/Muslim diasporas across the Indian Ocean, global transregional dynamics, and historical interactions between empires and local societies. Education: PhD (2000), MA (1990) in Anthropology from University of Chicago; BA (1986) from Stanford University. Research interests include mobility studies, transregional legal frameworks, and the intersection of Islam with imperial and postcolonial contexts. Notable projects involve Inter-Asia collaborations and studies on China-Africa relations, oil economies, and Malay sovereignty. Recent grants include funding from the National Science Foundation for research on refugees, Azerbaijan's oil-driven geopolitics, and a global religion dissertation fellowship program. Teaching spans courses on imperialism, mobility, global culture, and anthropological theory. His expertise spans Africa, India, Indonesia, and Yemen.

William HurstView profile

Professor

• Labor politics
• Contentious politics
• Political economy
• +5 more

William Hurst is the Chong Hua Professor of Chinese Development in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge . He is a Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson College and is affiliated with the Centre for Development Studies and the Centre for Geopolitics . Hurst has been a faculty member at the University of Cambridge since 2013. Prior to this, he held positions as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford and as an assistant professor at the Universities of Texas and Toronto. His research spans four major themes: labor politics , contentious politics , political economy , and the politics of law and legal institutions , with a regional focus on China and Indonesia . He is currently completing a book manuscript on the comparative politics of law and legal institutions in China and Indonesia since 1949, based on over a year of fieldwork in each country since 2006. Hurst’s publications reflect a deep engagement with the evolution of Chinese and Indonesian governance, labor rights, urban development, and legal reform. His work critically examines how authoritarian regimes manage legal institutions, labor unrest, and urban transformation, offering comparative insights into state-society relations in East and Southeast Asia. While no specific students or awards are listed in the provided text, Hurst’s academic trajectory and publication record indicate a strong commitment to both research and pedagogy in development studies and comparative politics.

Nguyen Van ChinhView profile

Professor

• Anthropology Research Methods
• History of Anthropology
• Migration Studies
• +5 more

Professor Nguyen Van Chinh is a distinguished scholar in anthropology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University (VNU-USSH), specializing in the Department of Anthropology and Religious Studies. With a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and extensive international research experience including a postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of Singapore, he has established himself as a leading expert in Southeast Asian anthropology, migration studies, and ethnic relations. His academic career spanning over four decades includes numerous visiting professorships at prestigious institutions worldwide. Professor Chinh's research interests encompass Anthropology Research Methods , History of Anthropology , Migration and Poverty Studies , Ethnic Identity , and Cross-border Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia. His scholarly work demonstrates a particular focus on the intersection of economic development, cultural preservation, and social transformation in Vietnamese and Southeast Asian contexts. Through extensive fieldwork and theoretical contributions, he has shaped contemporary understanding of ethnic minorities, migration patterns, and socio-economic changes in the region. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution toward contemporary issues including China's growing influence in the Mekong region, ethnic Chinese migration, and the challenges of poverty reduction in Vietnam. The research demonstrates increasing engagement with transnational phenomena, border studies, and the impact of China's economic expansion on Southeast Asian societies. His most recent work addresses pressing contemporary issues such as disability rights, academic publishing challenges, and urban migration dynamics. Distinguished PhD dissertation awarded by NVMC (Netherlands Association of Social Sciences and Cultural Sciences), 2000 Certificate of Merit from the President of National University for outstanding achievements, 2007 Asian Leadership Fellow (ALFP) awarded by the Japan Foundation, 2004 Asian Public Intellectual Fellow (API) awarded by the Nippon Foundation, 2010 Multiple research grants from prestigious foundations including Toyota, Rockefeller, and Japan Foundation Professor Chinh has served as an independent consultant for numerous national and international development projects implemented in Vietnam. His advisory work spans multiple sectors including labor, health, agriculture, and ethnic minority affairs, working with organizations such as WHO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, DFID, IUCN, UNICEF, and UNESCO. His expertise in ethnographic research methods and understanding of Vietnamese society has made him a valuable resource for policy development and implementation across multiple domains.

M RameshView profile

Professor

• Public Policy
• Governance in Asia
• Health Policy
• +3 more

M Ramesh is a Professor and UNESCO Chair on Social Policy Design in Asia at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy , National University of Singapore. He has held academic leadership roles as Founding Head of the Department of Asian and Policy at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Professor of Social Policy at the University of Hong Kong, and Chair of the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. Education : PhD (University of British Columbia, 1989), MA (University of Saskatchewan, 1983), BA (Patna University, 1979) Research Focus : Public policy processes, governance in Asia, health policy, social protection, and education policy Editorial Roles : Founder/Editor of Policy and Society , Policy Design and Practice , and Cambridge Elements in Public Policy Ramesh’s research explores policy and governance design in Asian contexts, particularly healthcare , social protection , and education policy . His work analyzes decentralization , governance failures , and policy capacity through comparative studies across China, India, Thailand, and Southeast Asia. He examines healthcare reforms , social security systems , and public-private dynamics in policy implementation. His recent publications highlight decentralization challenges in China, health policy tools in India, and innovative policy mixes in Singapore. Ramesh also investigates legitimation strategies and capacity deficits in modern governance. Courses Taught : Asian Pacific Politics, Comparative Public Policy, Economic and Social Policies in East Asia, Globalisation and Public Policy, Government and Business, International Political Economy, Public Policy: Introduction, Social Policy: Issues and Options, World Politics. Editorial Boards : American Review of Public Administration, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Global Governance, Social Science and Medicine (2010–2015), and others.

Matteo BonottiView profile

Associate Professor

• Democratic Theory
• Political Liberalism
• Linguistic Justice
• +5 more

Matteo Bonotti is an Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations at Monash University, previously teaching at Cardiff University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on democratic theory, political liberalism, linguistic justice, free speech, civility, and food justice, addressing ethical pluralism and cultural diversity in modern societies. He has published in journals like the American Political Science Review and authored/co-authored books including Partisanship and Political Liberalism in Diverse Societies (Oxford UP, 2017) and Healthy Eating Policy and Political Philosophy: A Public Reason Approach (Oxford UP, 2022). Bonotti leads projects on disinformation in Southeast Asia, linguistic justice among Italian-Australians, and civic education. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to justice, peace, and sustainable consumption. Education: Previous academic roles at Cardiff, Queen’s Belfast, and Edinburgh universities. Research Themes: Ethical pluralism, democratic legitimacy, public reason, and policy narratives. Recent Projects: ASEAN Disinformation Index, Language & Political Participation in Australia, and Civic Virtue in Polarized Societies. His articles explore topics like civility in environmental politics, far-right network dynamics, and gastrospaces as ethical spaces. Collaborations span international scholars across political theory, sociology, and philosophy. Bonotti actively engages with public discourse through media commentaries on civility, pandemic narratives, and free speech debates.

Carol CarpenterView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Environmental Anthropology
• Conservation and Sustainable Development
• Economic Anthropology and Agriculture
• +3 more

Carol Carpenter is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Research Scholar at Yale University's School of the Environment. She has held teaching and research positions at Syracuse University, the University of Hawaii, and Hawaii-Pacific University, and a research role at the East-West Center. Her expertise spans environmental anthropology, conservation, sustainable development, and gender in agrarian systems. She earned a B.A. from SUNY Binghamton and M.A./Ph.D. from Cornell University. Her research focuses on the social science of conservation, economic anthropology in agriculture, and gender dynamics in ecological systems. Notable fieldwork includes four years in Indonesia studying rituals and social networks, followed by four years in Pakistan as a development consultant on social forestry and women's issues for USAID, the World Bank, and the Asia Foundation. She joined Yale in 1998 and published Power in Conservation: Environmental Anthropology Beyond Political Ecology (2020) and co-edited Environmental Anthropology: An Historical Reader (2007). Her recent work critiques conservation practices through an anthropological lens, emphasizing cultural contexts and gender roles. Earlier studies explored resource management in Pakistan, including women’s labor in agriculture and afforestation impacts. Her articles span decades, addressing topics from ritual ethnobotany to development surveillance in Bolivia. While no specific grants or lab affiliations are detailed, her consultancy roles highlight applied research in development sectors. No awards are explicitly mentioned, though her academic contributions are substantial.

Ulrike FreitagView profile

Professor

• Middle Eastern History
• Urban History
• Indian Ocean Studies
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Freitag is Director of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Berlin) and holds a special professorship in Islamic Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on social and cultural history of the Arab world, urban history, and transregional connections in the Indian Ocean. She has directed major projects like 'An Oasis Facing Globalisation: Hegra’s History since the 19th Century' and authored seminal works such as A History of Jeddah . Education: Habilitation (Islamic Studies, 2002, Bonn), PhD (1991, Freiburg), MA (1987, Freiburg). Key research stays include Damascus (1984-85, 1987-90), Yemen, and Southeast Asia. Research Interests: Urban development, migration networks, Ottoman heritage, Saudi state formation, and transregional Islamic dynamics. Current projects explore Jeddah’s urban history and transregional entanglements in the Arabian Peninsula. Engagement: Editorial roles for Journal of Arabian Studies , ZMO Studien , and advisory boards for institutions like the Leibniz Institute of European History. Awarded fellowships from Käthe-Hamburger Kolleg and LUCIS. Supervised over 20 doctoral theses on topics ranging from Ottoman governance to Gulf intellectual history. Publications: Over 150 articles, 8 monographs, and 6 edited volumes. Her work blends archival research with transregional perspectives, emphasizing marginalized voices and material culture. Recent focus on pandemic impacts and Saudi-Iranian geopolitical dynamics.

Jason BrownleeView profile

Professor

• Comparative Politics
• Democracy
• Development
• +4 more

Jason Brownlee is a Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on comparative politics, democracy, and authoritarianism, with a regional emphasis on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Ph.D., Princeton University Contact: brownlee@austin.utexas.edu Research Interests : Brownlee investigates the persistence of authoritarian regimes, the political economy of repression, and the impact of foreign intervention on domestic politics. His work often analyzes Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Key Publications : Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization (Cambridge, 2007) Democracy Prevention: The Politics of the U.S.-Egyptian Alliance (Cambridge, 2012) The Arab Spring: Pathways of Repression and Reform (Oxford, 2012, co-authored with Tarek Masoud and Andrew Reynolds) Teaching : Brownlee offers courses such as "War/Freedom in South Asia/Middle East" and "Issues & Policies in American Government," delivered both in-person and online.

Miemie Winn ByrdView profile

Adjunct Professor

• Southeast Asian Security
• Myanmar Studies
• Economic Development
• +5 more

Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd is an Adjunct Professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS), where she researches, teaches, and publishes on security dynamics in Myanmar/Burma & Southeast Asia, economics & security linkages, and organizational development. A retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel with 28 years of distinguished service, she brings extensive experience from military, private sector, and nonprofit organizations to her academic work. Dr. Byrd earned her educational credentials from prestigious institutions: Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting from Claremont McKenna College Master of Business Administration with emphasis in Asia-Pacific Economics and Business from University of Hawaii Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Southern California Her research focuses on the complex interplay between security, economics, and social development in Southeast Asia, with particular expertise in Myanmar's political and security landscape. Dr. Byrd examines how civil-military operations, women's roles, and educational approaches impact socioeconomic development and security outcomes in the region. She investigates the strategic implications of Myanmar's internal conflicts for broader Indo-Pacific security dynamics, and analyzes how private sector engagement can contribute to poverty alleviation and stability. Dr. Byrd serves on multiple advisory boards that extend her influence in policy and research: Board of Governors of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College Regional Advisory Committee for Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar Initiative of the Asia Regional Office, International Development Research Centre The Oxford-Thanakha International based in Chiang Mai, Thailand Myanmar Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C. Her military career included significant roles such as Deputy Economic Advisor and Civil-Military Operations Plans Officer at U.S. Pacific Command, where she supported Operations Enduring Freedom. She served as a linguist and cultural advisor for U.S. delegations at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and during POW/MIA recovery negotiations in Myanmar. Her civilian career spans 16 years in auditing, accounting, and financial management with multinational corporations.