Research Projects
The Ethnic Penalty? The Life Course Experiences of Ethnic Minorities in Global Contexts
This project consists of a series of global studies that examine the integration of ethnic minorities – from education to the labour market – and the interactive role micro/macro-level factors, and public policies, play in this process.
Authoritarian Multiculturalism
This project looks at the efficacy of multiculturalism as a philosophy, public policy, and a mediating principle for managing ethnic grievances, in advanced authoritarian environments.
The Interactions of the State and NGOs in China
This project examines the organizational birth, maturation and mortality of Chinese NGOs from the early 2000s to present-day. It analyzes how the state and NGOs engage and influence each other in a bi-directional fashion. It further discerns Chinese NGOs’ strategies and barriers for survival and growth.
The Contemporary Re-emergence of China and its Effects on International Development and Global Affairs
This project assesses how China’s re-emergence as an overseas actor has influenced salient theories and practices in international development, and global affairs. One key interest is to understand the internationalization strategies of Chinese social organizations, and their impact on global civil society and international institutions. Another major aspect is to examine China’s foreign relations and engagement with global actors.
The Evolving Behaviour of Policy Actors and the Citizenry in China
This project investigates how policymakers and everyday citizens have adapted to the "new China" under Xi Jinping. For instance, what fosters local policy innovation and experimentation in China, especially when there is greater bureaucratic re-centralization? What are Chinese citizens' attitudes, preferences and expectations for the role of state in the economy in a period of decelerating economic growth? What does it mean to be a "good citizen" in the 2020s, notably in an environment of new state-led mechanisms of social control (e.g. social credit system)?
Global Sustainability and the Future of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance
This project evaluates global social and economic sustainability, and the development of ESG principles and practices from a mix of academic, policy and practitioner-oriented perspectives. Major themes include: MNEs and labour standards, inclusive growth principles, global energy, international sustainability standards, and governance practices pertaining to equity-seeking groups.
The Ethical Self, Community and State
This project probes into the essentialist qualities of the self, community and state through their performative interplay in the public domain. This includes looking at interactions in social media; dealings with marginalized and vulnerable social groups; and, through the establishment of, and justification for, peremptory norms.