Sophal Ear

Roles & Affiliations: Tenured Associate Professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU), former Senior Associate Dean (2022–23) and Associate Dean (2021–22). President of the International Public Management Network (IPMN, 2023). Serves on boards of Refugees International, Partners for Development, and others. TED Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Education: Ph.D., M.A., and M.S. in Political Science and Agricultural Economics from UC Berkeley; M.P.A. in Economics/Public Policy from Princeton University; B.A. in Economics/Political Science from UC Berkeley.

Research Focus: Foreign aid dependency, post-conflict development, governance in Cambodia, and China's global resource strategies. Explores how aid undermines democratic institutions and distorts economic incentives in developing nations. Author of seminal works like Aid Dependence in Cambodia and Viral Sovereignty.

Awards & Recognition: TED Fellow (2012), Fulbright Specialist, Young Global Leader (2012), and multiple board certifications in governance (NACD).

Public Work: Documentaries include The End/Beginning: Cambodia (2011). Advised Cambodia’s first private equity fund and held UNDP roles in East Timor. Active in policy advocacy through think tanks and NGOs.

Key Projects: Investigates Khmer Rouge era impacts, critiques donor-driven governance failures, and promotes nationally owned development strategies. Advocates for tax systems to reduce aid dependency.