Marina Marouda

Dr. Marina Marouda is a Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Sussex. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, funded by the ESRC, and received the Sutasoma Award from the Royal Anthropological Institute for her doctoral work on death rituals, kinship, and politics in Vietnam. Her research explores the intersections of ritual practices, state policies, and socio-economic transformations in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Vietnam and its diasporas.

Education

• PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh (ESRC-funded)

Research Interests

• Social study of markets and entrepreneurship
• Science entrepreneurship
• Religion and ritual practices
• Kinship and sociality
• State ethnography and social transformation
• Vietnamese diasporas

Key Projects

• ERC-funded TRODITIES project (2016–present): Examines transnational trading networks and the role of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in global markets.
• Former ESRC and IIAS fellowships (postdoctoral research on bio-entrepreneurship and stem-cell applications in Vietnam).

Publications

Her work bridges anthropology and science studies, analyzing rituals, market-making, and bio-entrepreneurship. Recent studies include the socio-cultural dimensions of death rituals in Vietnam and the impact of market socialism on religious practices.

Awards

• Sutasoma Award (Royal Anthropological Institute)

Advising & Grants

Marina has secured ESRC and ERC funding for collaborative projects. Her research often involves interdisciplinary teams, such as the international stem-cell study in 2016 and the TRODITIES consortium with Sussex, Cambridge, and other universities.

Labs/Teams

A member of the University of Sussex’s Global Interdisciplinary Institute, contributing to projects on transnationalism and global commodity flows.