Matteo Fumagalli

Matteo Fumagalli is a Senior Lecturer in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He received his PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh in 2005. Matteo has previously taught at Central European University, University College Dublin, and the University of Edinburgh.
Matteo is interested in various aspects pertaining to (Eur-)Asian security, including conflict and violence in Central Asia, the Caucasus and South-East Asia, and the politics of natural resources (resource nationalism, the resource nexus).

His research interests lie at the intersection of the study of identities, ethnic conflict and violence and the politics of natural resources. He has conducted research in the post-Soviet space (especially Central Asia and the Caucasus) and East Asia (esp. South Korea, Taiwan, Laos, Myanmar, and Bangladesh). Over the years his research has developed along the following lines:

Identities, diasporas and conflict in the post-Soviet space, particularly in Central Asia and the Caucasus. His work on Uzbek minorities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan (Ethnic Conflict in post-Soviet Central Asia: Exit, voice and loyalty among Uzbek minorities) is forthcoming with Routledge in 2021. An article on ‘Identity through difference: liminal diasporism and generational change among the Koryo Saram in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’ is forthcoming in the European Journal of Korean Studies (2020).

Transitions from authoritarian rule and in competitive authoritarianism, regime stability and resilience, and social contention. Matteo has recently completed a project on with colleagues at the Caucasus Resource Research Center in Tbilisi (Georgia), published as a special issue of the Caucasus Survey (‘Taking partly free voters seriously’, 2017 vol. 5. N. 3). He has co-edited 'Authoritarian stability in the South Caucasus: Voting preferences, autocratic responses and regime stability in Armenia and Georgia' with Koba Turmanidze, published with Routledge in 2018).

Energy and climate change: he has published on various aspects related to energy politics and the international relations of natural resources, climate change and economic development, the rise of resource nationalism in the smaller but resource-rich economies at China’s borders, the resource nexus, and global energy and environmental governance. The article 'Luang Prabang: climate change and rapid development' has recently been published in 'Cities. International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning' (97C, 2020). A chapter on ‘The BRICS, energy security and global energy governance’ was published in SY Kim (ed) The BRICS and the Global Economy’ (2020).

His most recent work revolves around the study of Asian inter-connectedness in the form of aid (south-south cooperation), logistics, trade and investment. I am especially interested in the policies of China and Korea towards South-East Asia (especially Myanmar) and Central Asia and the effects of ODA on inequalities. My monograph New Silk Roads, Growing inter-Asian connections: South Korea’s Quest for Energy and New Markets in Central Asia is forthcoming with Palgrave in 2021. An article on ‘Myanmar in 2019: The Lady and the Generals redux?’ Is forthcoming in ‘Asia Maior’, Vol. XXX, 2020.

He is also interested in two areas of the scholarship of teaching and learning, namely how innovations in ICT affect student learning (online and blended learning) and the contribution of experiential learning to the study of conflict and conflict management.