As a human geographer by training, I am interested in questions of urban change, both through the lens of materiality and forms of living together, as well as in the interplay between city-making and migration. In parallel, I have an on-going interest in the manner in which 'global China' translates into urban contexts in Southern Africa. Empirically, my focus has been primarily directed at South Africa and Zambia, with more recent explorations into dense and highly diverse urban contexts in Western Europe.
In parallel to my appointment at Utrecht University (UU), I am a cluster chair at the University College Utrecht (UCU). In this role, I am responsible for the development and innovation of the curriculum within and across cluster 3, and in liaison with the UU faculties.
Cluster 3 is comprised of the following disciplines: Geography, China Studies, Political Science, Earth & Environment, and Language & Culture.
I am also affiliated with the Centre for Asian Studies in Africa (University of Pretoria) and the International Institute for Asian Studies (Leiden University).
Key areas of research: Societal change and pragmatic (co)habitation, urban transformation, Africa-China relations, large-scale developments.
Editorial board: Global China Pulse (Open Access Journal) / The People's Map of Global China
Geographical focus: South Africa, Zambia, China, Luxembourg, The Netherlands.