Andrew Martin Fischer

Andrew Martin Fischer is Full Professor of Inequality, Social Protection and Development at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Hague. He is a leading scholar in international development, with extensive research on poverty, inequality, and social policy, particularly in China and the Global South.

• PhD in Development Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science (2007)
• MA in Economics (Development Economics), McGill University (1994)

Fischer’s research spans over 30 years and focuses on the political economy of development, ethnic marginalization in Western China, and the role of redistribution. He has authored key works such as Poverty as Ideology and The Disempowered Development of Tibet in China, and led the European Research Council-funded project Aiding Social Protection (2015–2021).

His recent publications explore debt crises in developing countries, global reparations, and the changing demography of Tibet. These works reflect a consistent engagement with themes of justice, marginalization, and structural inequality in global development.

• International Studies in Poverty Prize (2018)
• European Research Council (ERC) grant (2014)

Fischer has supervised numerous students and early-career researchers and has been actively involved in academic service, including serving as Chair and co-editor of Development and Change and founding editor of the Oxford University Press book series Critical Frontiers of International Development Studies. He has also held external roles such as Scientific Director of CERES Dutch Research School for International Development (2019–2023). His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty reduction and social justice.

He is affiliated with research networks focusing on agrarian transformation, social policy, and the Global South, and has participated in numerous academic workshops and editorial boards, reinforcing his role as a central figure in critical development studies.