Yim Ming Connie Kwong

Dr. Yim Ming Connie Kwong is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, Germany, contributing to Programme Area 3 – Land-Ocean Fluxes and Transformation and the Working Group on Deliberation, Valuation and Sustainability. Her interdisciplinary work bridges human geography, tourism studies, and sustainability science to address complex socio-ecological challenges through community-centered approaches.

Her research examines cultures, values, identities and practices alongside more-than-human geographies and human-nature relationships, emphasizing community building for sustainable co-development. She pioneers stakeholder engagement and knowledge co-production using interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, participatory and creative methodologies, particularly focusing on marginalized voices including children and women in global sustainability contexts.

Analysis of her 2017-2025 publications reveals consistent thematic threads: children's participation in marine futures (Indonesia), women's empowerment in disaster risk reduction (Nepal), and knowledge politics in environmental management. These works demonstrate her transdisciplinary approach across tourism, conservation, and crisis response, consistently prioritizing community agency and co-created solutions.

Dr. Kwong actively leads field initiatives including TransTourism (2020-present) and previously contributed to the UKRI-GCRF Resilient Silk Route Network (2019-2022). Her outreach spans lecturing for IOC-UNESCO's Ocean Decade training, conducting Indonesia drawing workshops, and radio interviews in Colombia, effectively translating research into community action.

She operates within ZMT's Programme Area 3 framework while maintaining dynamic international collaborations across Indonesia, Colombia, and Nepal, fostering innovative partnerships that bridge academic research with grassroots sustainability efforts through co-design and participatory frameworks.