CDD Postdoc H/F : The role of Chinese actors in the urban transition in Laos

The researcher shall analyze the effects of the investment and, more broadly, of the presence of Chinese actors in Laotian cities. Her/his main activities shall be the following :
1. Collect documentation : grey literature (official and scientific documents), databases, academic papers, experts' reports;
2. Design and implement a survey methodology involving surveys, interviews with relevant stakeholders (institutional actors, traders and businessmen, investors, developers, etc...) and an appropriate framework for the analysis of data.
3. Carry out fieldwork analyses (observations, interviews, mapping) and regularly reporting on the progress of the research activities.
4. Participate to the critical analysis of the research results, to publications and scientific events.

The postdoctoral researcher shall conduct fieldwork activity in Laos in order to examine the role of Chinese actors and capitals in contemporary urban production. He/she will collect and analyse relevant documents, undertake fieldwork observations, interviews, and maps that allow to measure and describe the characteristics of Chinese involvement in the urban transition of Laotian cities, especially when in relation to the Belt and Road Initiative. Special attention will be granted to the capital city of Vientiane ; however, the researcher may also want and will be welcome to conduct research on other cities where Chinese involvement proves to be important, including Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Boten. Her/his will mainly engage with the academic fields of urban studies, urban geography, political economy, and urban sociology.

The postdoctoral researcher will join the team of the research program "The cities of the New Silks Roads in Southeast Asia" which is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR). This research program is coordinated by Adele Esposito, CNRS Researcher, currently affiliated to the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC). The research program questions the role of the Belt and Road Initiative in (re)shaping secondary cities in Southeast Asia. It is interdisciplinary and comparative in scope : case studies have been selected in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, and Laos. The postdoctoral researcher will be directly supervised by Adele Esposito.

The researcher will be affiliated to the IRASEC and will be based in Laos. He/she will be involved and will contribute to the collective activities of the research team as well as in the publication process.