
Alvin Camba
Assistant Professor
What I do
I study the political economy of development, examining how countries in the Global South pursue development in the context of China’s rise. Using mixed-methods approaches and focusing on maritime Southeast Asia, I look at various themes, particularly inter-elite competition, institutional change, social conflicts, ecological ramifications, and growth strategies across host country sectors. My new research projects explore three interrelated themes: (1) illicit capital; (2) maritime disputes and capital inflows; and (3) the cement-steel-infrastructure interface.
Specialization(s)
Political economy; development; political sociology; extractive politics; China-Southeast Asia
Professional Biography
I am a non-resident fellow at the Stratbase-Alberto Del Rosario Institute (ADRi), the Paramadina Public Policy Institute (PPPI), and WR Adivsory. I was previously a fellow at the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University, Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, and the Asian Research Institute.
My research has been awarded multiple best research paper awards by several academic networks (International Studies Association, American Sociological Association, GRADNAS), has been published in top development and political economy journals (e.g., Review of International Political Economy, Development and Change, Energy Research and Social Science, etc.), and has contributed to widely-circulated think tank policy papers (e.g. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the International Republican Institute, and Center for International Private Enterprise) on China’s activities in Southeast Asia. I have been cited and/or interviewed by The Financial Times, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and other news outlets, and invited to speak at The World Bank, the US State Department, AidData, etc. I have briefed US ambassadors, members of congress, and corporate board members about China and Southeast Asia. I have also testified at the Philippine Senate and the Indonesia's People's Representative Council. I am regularly consulted by state institutions, embassies in Southeast Asia (US, Australia, UK, Japan, Singapore,etc.), and I have worked with tech firms on curbing disinformation.
Most recently, I am a part of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-funded Responsible Public Engagement project at the Korbel School. The project investigates, among others, China’s disinformation strategies and investments in rare earths.
Degree(s)
- Ph.D., Sociology, The Johns Hopkins University, 2021
- MA, Sociology, Binghamton University, 2015
- AB, Economy and Society, University College London, 2012
Professional Affiliations
- American Sociological Association
- International Studies Association
- Eastern Sociological Association
Media Sources
Research
My first and ongoing book project develops the concept of the “Strong leader trap.” I argue that China – in this case, the Chinese Communist Party leadership and the key ministries - seeks and befriends “strong leaders” through major foreign direct investment (FDI) and development finance projects in hopes of securing protection for Chinese firms. This book project uncovers the unintended consequences of China's strategy of deliberately working with a "strong leader."
Second, working with the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University, I am examining the “cement-steel-infrastructure” interface of the Belt and Road Initiative. I content that the literature on decarbonization and energy transitions focuses on the energy system but misses out on the complimentary industries that generate massive amounts of CO2 emissions and inextricably linked with the "infrastructure development” aspirations of many countries in the Global South. Here, I am looking at the domestic expansion of cement and the outward expansion of steel industries in the Global South that generate these emissions.
In my final project, I am looking at the long-term project on illicit capital. Specifically, through a variety of methods, I'm tracing money laundered out of China and into the offshore financial centers and then the Global South, often moving into “shady” sectors such as online gambling, wildlife smuggling, and land speculation. Apart from these, I have finished multiple projects related to Chinese capital inflows and the South China Sea, Chinese investments in key sectors - nickel mining, industrial parks, and real estate – as well as trace the transformation of elite politics in key Southeast Asian states.
Key Projects
- Climate Policy Inventory for Malaysia and Philippines
- The Strong Leader Paradox: How China's Global Investment Strategy Transforms Politics in Emerging Democracies
Featured Publications
Presentations
Awards
- The 2022 Aileen San Pablo Baviera Prize, The Graduate Research and Development Network on Asian Security
- 2022 Publication Award for Significant Contributions to Applied and Public Sociology, ASA section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology
- 2021 Elise Boulding Student Paper Award, , American Sociological Association’s Section on Peace, War, and Social Conflict.
- 2021 Emerging Global South Scholar Award, International Studies Association
- 2021 Terence K. Hopkins Best Graduate Student Paper Award, American Sociological Association’s Section on Political Economy of World-System (PEWS).