Igor Rogelja

Dr. Igor Rogelja is an Associate Professor at University College London's Department of European & International Social & Political Studies, specializing in global politics with a focus on Chinese infrastructure investments and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He previously held positions at King’s College London and completed his PhD at SOAS, University of London. His research integrates anthropological insights about infrastructure into political analysis, emphasizing materiality's role in shaping international relations.

Education includes a PhD in Politics and International Studies from SOAS and postdoctoral training as a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute. His work engages interdisciplinary themes like spatial politics, multi-scalar governance, and the interplay between physical infrastructure and geopolitical dynamics.

Research interests span Chinese foreign policy, urban geography, and critical infrastructure studies. His scholarship challenges traditional state-centric explanations by examining how materials (e.g., concrete, coal) and spatial practices influence global power structures. He co-edits The People's Map of Global China, a project tracking China's global engagements through qualitative mapping.

Recent publications analyze BRI's first decade, material politics in the Balkans, and the securitization of China's economic presence in Europe. His work contributes to debates about sustainability (SDG 11, 16) and the socio-environmental impacts of large-scale projects.