Charmaine Ramos

Dr. Charmaine Ramos is an Assistant Professor at University College Utrecht (UCU) and affiliated with the Utrecht University School of Economics Applied Economics Section. A development studies scholar, policy analyst, and heterodox economist, she specializes in political economy, institutions, and late development in Southeast Asia and Latin America, with field experience in the Philippines, Colombia, Brazil, and Thailand.

• Education: PhD and MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science; MA and BSc in Economics from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Her research focuses on structural change, resource governance, and social policy, particularly examining the political uses of social policy in the context of 'new right populism,' institutional pathways to universal healthcare in the Global South, and the political economy of industrial upgrading. Recent work analyzes the developmental implications of authoritarianism and neoliberal governance.

She has over 15 years of experience as a development practitioner in NGOs and multilateral agencies. Prior to joining UCU, she held academic roles at institutions including the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), London School of Economics (LSE), SOAS, University of Bath, Leiden University College, and Wageningen University. At LSE, she was a Research Associate at the Crisis States Research Centre, studying state-building in fragile states.