I am a development studies scholar whose research critically examines the work of development institutions, from governments and international donors to research institutes and NGOs, in the Global South. I am particularly interested in the processes of sustainable transitions in the context of subsistence economies, in which youth employment plays a key role.

My earlier work explored the contested issue of micro-entrepreneurship and self-employment that have recently become the cornerstone of development policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. In partnership with UNICEF Innovation Labs, I examined the role of social enterprises in remote, rural contexts, focusing on community-based cooperatives producing green energy.

I also have a keen interest in science and technology studies, in particular in information and communication technology (ICT4D). My postdoctoral research at Wageningen University focused on the role of ICT4Ds in sustainable governance of agro- and eco-systems in Nepal, Peru and Ethiopia.

My research is highly practice-oriented; I have cooperated with the UNICEF and UNESCO agencies and a number of local NGOs in Africa (FVS Amade, FARA, CIP), South America (CONDESAN, AGAPE), Asia (Practical Action, Mountain Societies Research Institute) in order to provide rigorous evidence of what works in the field of international development.