Biography

For my doctoral research, I am studying industrial upgrading that makes it possible for developing countries to create and capture higher value added in agro-commodity global value chains (GVCs), based on a case study on the Malaysian palm oil industry. The research is important for developing countries because most of their populations live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for livelihood, and because two-thirds of these countries have commodity export revenues contributing to more than 60% of their total goods exports earnings. I was the Research Manager at the Hong Kong-based Fung Global Institute (now Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong), where I managed operations of the research department and oversaw production of research outputs. I previously worked as the Research Team Leader at the National Economic Advisory Council at the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia, where I led research support to the Council and co-authored the key reports outlining strategies and policies for achieving the national goals of high income, inclusiveness and sustainability by 2020. I have extensive experience of providing independent consulting to industry and government projects in over 5 countries since 2010. My current research interests are GVCs, agro-industrialisation, industrial upgrading, industrial and trade policy and emerging multinational corporations, with a regional focus on East Asia.

Previous Education

Universiti Sains Malaysia
University College London