Nicholas Loubere

I am an area specialist focusing on contemporary China and its global manifestations. My research sits at the nexus of interdisciplinary China Studies and Development Studies, and draws inspiration from a wide range of fields across the humanities and social sciences. I have a varied and eclectic educational background, with a BA in English Literature from Northern Illinois University, an MA in International Relations from Xiamen University, and a PhD in East Asian Studies from the University of Leeds.

I am currently engaged in three main strands of research, which are interconnected and build on each other. My primary area of study to date has been the formulation and implementation of microcredit programmes for rural development in China, as well as financial inclusion initiatives and digital financial penetration more broadly. My second strand of research concerns Chinese migration to Ghana for informal, small-scale gold mining—particularly focusing on socioeconomic transformation in Ghana and China, processes and patterns of migration, and flows of resources. Underpinning these two areas of inquiry, my third strand of research critically reflects on the methodological techniques used to collect and analyse data in Chinese Studies and Development Studies, especially with regard to empirical fieldwork based on grounded, ethnographic, and/or participatory approaches.

In addition to these three main strands of research I am also engaged in work related to the field of China Studies more broadly, and am involved in the Open Access movement, particularly through the Made in China Journal, which I co-edit.