About me

I am an PhD researcher supervised by Professor Chris Alden. I hold an MA (distinction) in Social Anthropology from SOAS, and a distinction-grade MSc in IR from LSE.

I am also a conference interpreter working with a range of government actors/IGOs/NGOs, and EU, North American and East Asian businesses ranging from SMEs to Fortune500s.

Academically, I am interested in conflict, peace and security, especially at the on-the-ground interpersonal level. My PhD focuses on the relational mechanisms and tools Chinese residents of Juba (South Sudan) employ to create and maintain security for themselves, their assets and interests in daily practice. My research has included two fieldwork trips to Juba, where I have used my conversational Juba Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic.

Given the unprecedented scope and depth of China’s involvement particularly in South Sudan, I read China’s activity in the country as a potential blueprint and future model.

Additionally, I have written on Taiwanese domestic and international politics, especially transitional justice. A project associate with LSE IDEAS administering China Foresight’s blog, China Dialogues, I have also worked on China in the Gulf.

Research topic

Casting the Safety Net: A relational reading of how Chinese residents of Juba perceive, approach, create & maintain security for themselves, their assets and interests. (provisional)

Teaching experience

2021/22 Graduate Teaching Assistant – IR101 Contemporary Issues in International Relations (LSE)
2021/23 Seminar Leader POL 147A Theory and Practice of International Relations – West European Politics (LSE IDEAS/UC Davis)
2021/2023 IDEASIR3 Global Politics in the 21st Century (LSE IDEAS/Universidad Europea de Madrid)
05/2015 – 04/2023 Senior Teaching Fellow on the MA in Conference Interpreting (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
04/2015-09/2015 Teaching Fellow in Asian and Chinese Studies (University of Bonn, Germany)