Raymond Yu Wang

Research

Associate Professor Center for the Social Sciences

Dr. Raymond Yu Wang is an Associate Professor at the Center for Social Sciences at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Beijing Normal University, an MPhil in Natural Resources Management from Renmin University of China, and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Hong Kong. Before joining SUSTech, Dr. Wang served as an Associate Professor in the School of Government at Sun Yat-sen University and as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Wang's research, grounded in political geography and political ecology, primarily explores the intersections of environmental governance, modernization, and social-ecological transformations in the Global South, with a special focus on Greater China and Southeast Asia. His work encompasses diverse topics related to water and land, including irrigation institutions, regional and transboundary water governance, hydraulic infrastructures, land development and urbanization, and public participation and environmental NGOs. Dr. Wang's research has garnered support from various funding bodies, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Ministry of Education, and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province. His scholarly contributions have been published in prestigious journals such as Regulation & Governance, The China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, Ecology & Society, and Land Use Policy. In addition to his research, Dr. Wang has served on the editorial boards of Water Alternatives and the International Journal of Water Resources Development. He also holds membership in multiple academic organizations, including the Cultural Geography Committee and the Political Geography Committee of the Chinese Geographical Society, the Environmental Sociology Committee of the Chinese Sociological Society, and the Center for Chinese Geo-relational Research.

Personal Profile

Education

2009 - 2014, The University of Hong Kong, Ph.D. in Human Geography
2007 - 2009, Renmin University of China, M.Phil. in Natural Resources Management
2003 - 2007，Beijing Normal University, B.Sc. in Geography

Academic positions

2020 - present, Center for Social Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Associate Professor
2016-2020, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Associate Professor
2014-2016, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Post-doctoral Fellow

Research areas

Political Geography; Political Ecology; Water Governance; Environmental Politics; China Studies

Professional services and outreach

Water Alternatives, Editorial Board Member
International Journal of Water Resources Development, Editorial Board Member
Political Geography and Geo-relations Committee, Geographical Society of China, Committee Member
Chinese Association for Administrative Division and Regional Development Promotion, Committee Member
Environmental Sociology Committee, Sociological Society of China, Committee Member
Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, Ministry of Education, Research Fellow
Center for Chinese Geo-relational Research, Beijing Normal University, Research Fellow
Guangzhou Institute of Urban Innovation, Vice-director

Personal Profile

Research

Political Ecology

Political Geography

Cultural Geography

Water Governance

Environmental Politics

China Studies

Teaching

Foundation of Sustainable Development

Environmental Policy and Governance

Urbanization in China

Publications Read More

Dr. Wang’s publications have appeared in reputable journals such as Regulation & Governance, The China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, Ecology & Society, Land Use Policy, Water Resources Management and so forth. His research focuses on political processes, institutional dynamics and social relationships in natural resources and environmental governance. His current work examines state-society, central-local, inter-jurisdictional and transnational interactions through the lens of water governance at different scales. At the local level, he engages in a scholarly discussion with literature on common-pool resources and institutionalism through cases of irrigation management in China. Particular attention is paid to institutional changes as well as the state-society interplay in a rapidly transforming rural society. At the regional level, his research examines policy instruments and policy processes for addressing basin-wide and regional water conflicts between and among an enlarging group of stakeholders, government sectors and administrative jurisdictions in the broad context of Chinese political economy. Particular attention is paid to uneven distribution of water resources, inter-jurisdictional water pollution and entrenched regional inequalities, which bring about challenges to maintaining regional social-ecological sustainability. At the global level, his research focuses on the governance of international rivers (e.g., the Lancang-Mekong River) and the roles of various state and non-state actors in shaping discourses, institutions and geographies across scales. By engaging in discussion with literature on political geography and hydropolitics, this line of inquiry analyzes complex power relations bound up in various decision-making and policy implementation processes in regard to water allocation, hydropower development, fishery, biodiversity conservation and so forth.

News More

Water Alternatives Call for papers: Irrigation management in East Asia
2020-05-19

Join us

Postdoctoral positions on water governance at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China
Job description
Applicants are invited for two Postdoctoral positions at the Center for Social Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China. SUSTech is a public university, founded in the lush hills of Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China, in 2010. SUSTech seeks to become an international high-level research university that gathers first-class faculty and nurtures top-notch innovative talents. In ten years, it has become one of the top 10 mainland Chinese universities according to the Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings 2022. (https://www.sustech.edu.cn/en/). Our Center for Social Sciences, established in 2016, is dedicated to exploring new theories, methods, and fields in social and cultural studies. We actively encourage interdisciplinary research through cohort-based collaborations and unique research partnerships.
Research areas
The postdoctoral researchers will work under the supervision of Dr. Raymond Yu Wang and are expected to carry out research on rural, urban and/or transboundary water governance issues with a geographical focus on China and/or Southeast Asia. The specific research areas include, but are not limited to:

International rivers and transboundary water governance
Institutional changes and regional water governance (e.g., the river chief system, water eco-compensation, water rights, etc.)
Hydraulic infrastructures (e.g., inter-basin water diversion projects, water supply & sewage treatment facilities, climate adaptation projects, etc.)
Agrarian changes and irrigation governance

Tasks

To carry out independent research and write up high quality academic papers.
To support the PI in developing new research projects and writing proposals.
To assist the PI in conducting fieldwork, organizing conferences, writing up policy briefs for consultancy projects, and providing academic support for PhD students.

Eligibility

The candidate must possess a PhD in a relevant discipline of social sciences, including but not limited to human geography, anthropology, political ecology, political science, public policy, sociology, etc.
The applicant must be in possession of a PhD at the time of enrollment but for no more than three years.
Track record of high-quality publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
Ability to communicate and work well with academics and practitioners

Employment
We will offer a full-time appointment for a period of 2 years. The annual salary will be RMB 300,000 (approximately USD 42,000), in addition to housing subsidies and research grants.
Application
Candidates should contact Dr. Raymond Yu Wang via wangy63@sustech.edu.cn and include (1) an updated CV; (2) a statement of interest; (3) a research proposal. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.