Pablo Ampuero Ruiz

Pablo Ampuero Ruiz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with affiliations as Visiting Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies (Leiden) and Adjunct Researcher at Chile’s Millennium Nucleus on China-Latin America Impacts (ICLAC). His research focuses on economic anthropology, global history, and sustainable transitions, particularly exploring green economy dynamics between China and South America. He holds a PhD (magna cum laude) from Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg and has conducted postdoctoral research on lithium’s socioeconomic impacts via the ERC-funded 'Worlds of Lithium' project.

• Education:
  • PhD in Social Anthropology (2017–2021), Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg
  • MA in International Studies (2013–2015), Peking University
  • Bachelor in History (2009–2012), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Research Interests: His work examines the intersections of finance, transition minerals, and green economies, with recent focus on lithium-driven electromobility. He analyzes migrant labor dynamics in China, Sino-Latin American relations, and the sociotechnical transformations shaping sustainable transitions. His methodologies blend ethnography, global history, and political ecology.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on China’s Ecological Civilisation, electromobility’s geoecology, and Sino-Latin American interdependency. His research bridges macro-policy frameworks with micro-societal impacts, emphasizing global inequalities and environmental justice.

• Awards: PhD Magna Cum Laude (2021)
• Grants & Activities: Led the China Work Package in the ERC-funded 'Worlds of Lithium' project. Engages in peer review for journals like Energy Research & Social Science and Asia Pacific Viewpoint.

Teaching: Teaches courses on migration, ethnographic methods, and commodity chain analysis. Co-leads modules on 'Nation and Migration' and 'Confronting Commodity Chains.'