معرفی
Matt Baillie Smith is a Professor of Global Development and Dean of Research Culture at Northumbria University, where he co-directs the Northumbria Centre for International Development. His work focuses on civil society, citizenship, and development in the global South, with particular emphasis on volunteering in humanitarian contexts and young people as development actors. He leads significant international research projects including the ESRC/GCRF funded Refugee Youth Volunteering Uganda (RYVU) and the UKRI/GCRF Living Deltas Hub.
Baillie Smith holds a PhD in Sociology, an MPhil in Sociology and Politics of Development, and a BA (Hons) in Politics. His educational background provides strong foundations for his interdisciplinary approach to global development issues.
His research interests center on the intersections of civil society, citizenship and development in the global South. He has pioneered work on volunteering between global South countries, challenging traditional North-South paradigms. His current projects explore youth volunteering in Uganda refugee contexts, youth agency for sustainable development in Palestine, and delta futures in South and Southeast Asia. He has particular expertise in participatory and visual methodologies, emphasizing co-design with diverse development actors.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent focus on refugee youth volunteering in Uganda, with emerging work on environmental change in Vietnam and youth participation in Palestine. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between geography, development studies, and humanitarian action, with particular attention to power dynamics, inequality, and youth agency in global South contexts.
Baillie Smith has successfully secured major funding from ESRC/GCRF, BA/GCRF, and UKRI/GCRF for his research initiatives. He serves as Principal Investigator for Refugee Youth Volunteering Uganda, PI for a BA/GCRF project in Palestine, and Co-Investigator and Work Package Lead for the UKRI/GCRF Living Deltas Hub. He is also Research Director of the Swedish Red Cross Led Volunteers in Conflicts and Emergencies Initiative.
He currently supervises seven PhD students working on topics including youth volunteering post-COVID-19, disability and youth participation in Zimbabwe, climate volunteering in Bengal delta, humanitarian logistics, women's entrepreneurship in Uganda, shea tree protection in Uganda, and NGO-local supporter relations. His supervisory approach emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact.
Baillie Smith co-leads the Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises and Development Research Peak at Northumbria University, a global hub bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. His work with the Swedish Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations demonstrates his commitment to bridging academic research and practical humanitarian action through participatory approaches that challenge traditional hierarchies of knowledge production.
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