Dr Jamie Gillen

Biography

My name is Jamie Gillen and I am director and senior lecturer (above the bar) of the Global Studies Programme. I am affiliated with Development Studies at the University of Auckland too. My appointment at Auckland began in January, 2020, and I assumed the directorship on 1 July, 2020.

Research | Current

Trained as a geographer, my research covers cultural politics, urbanization, and societal changes in mainland Southeast Asia, and in particular in Vietnam. I have written primarily about the politics of tourism and have secondary interests in urban development, but I also work in fields such as agrarian change, entrepreneurialism, cultural geography, and the work of fieldwork. An overarching motivation of my research is to understand the political narratives of those people, places, institutions, and groups whose interests are not well represented, whether at home or globally. Outside of Vietnam, recent fieldwork in these matters has been in Cambodia and Laos, though I am passionate about the region in its entirety.

Teaching | Current

My teaching follows the peripetetic nature of my research. Here at Auckland I teach the Global Studies curriculum and a paper on Asian cities. Previous courses at other universities include topics in human geography, international studies, and research design.

Global 252/352 Asian Cities: Growth and Transition

Global 100 Intercultural Communication

Global 200 Global Challenges

Global 300 Research Project