Alia is a PhD candidate in Human Geography and Urban Studies. Her research focuses on the privatization of urban spaces in Kuala Lumpur, examining how these transformations shape urban citizenship. This aligns with her broader interests in urban spatial justice, gentrification, and state-citizen relations.

Before joining LSE, Alia was a Senior Research Associate and Program Director at PNB Research Institute, Malaysia. She also brings experience in investment analysis and policy planning, having worked as a Special Officer at the Ministry of Finance Malaysia and as an equity and bond analyst at Permodalan Nasional Berhad.

Alia holds an MSc in Urbanisation and Development from LSE, where her dissertation was awarded the LSE SEAC Postgraduate Dissertation Prize.

Selected Publications

Salleh, A. (2024). Questioning “progressive” gentrification in Asia: evidence from Kampung Sungai Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Urban Geography, 45(9), 1513–1535. Read paper. 

Awards

• LSE PhD Studentship (2024/28)
• LSE Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre Postgraduate Dissertation Prize (2022)
• Chevening Scholarship Award (2021/22)

Supervisors

Prof Hyun Bang Shin
Dr Laura Antona