Global Political Ecology Group

Joachim Stassart is a Ph.D. candidate and a Vanier scholar in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. Drawing on human geography and political ecology, his research centers on the politics and contradictions of land rights mapping using digital technologies in Brazil. More specifically, he collaborates with the Public Defender of Pará to investigate conflicts related to REDD+ carbon offset projects and with civil society organizations in Ceará to examine these power dynamics as they relate to the renewable energy boom. To do so, he “follows” land tenure data where they are produced, negotiated, circulated and contested. His research is inspired by his previous experience at Transparency International Brazil, where he worked and reported on the linkages between corruption and land grabbing, wildlife trafficking and illegal mining in the country and beyond. Joachim also holds a Master's degree from Sciences Po Paris, and Bachelor's degrees from UCLouvain. His other passions include finding excuses to sail on BC ferries for an adventure and learning to cook secret recipes from the people he meets.

Thao Nguyen is an MSc student in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC and will be entering his PhD in September 2026. Born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, he moved to Canada at age 16 for his studies. He is a social science researcher working at the nexus of the environment and human livelihoods, specifically focusing on the impacts of various sustainability initiatives on commodity chains and forest-dependent local communities in the Mekong region. His theoretical approach draws insights from sustainable livelihoods, political ecology, as well as human and environmental geographies. His research methodologies are primarily qualitative, relying on ethnographic fieldwork, and his research so far has been made possible in part through collaboration with local organizations, including the Centre for Development and Environment based in Laos. Before coming to UBC, he completed his undergraduate degree in Environment and Development at McGill University from 2018 to 2022. In his free time, he loves playing and watching sports, especially soccer and badminton, and cooking.

Khin Htet Htet Pyone is a PhD student at the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. Originally from Myanmar (Burma), she is an interdisciplinary scholar with a diverse background in geospatial analysis and community-based research. Her current research explores agricultural expansion at different scales and its interconnected impacts on deforestation within Southeast Asian landscapes, using approaches from political ecology and spatial data analysis. Prior to her PhD, Htet Htet worked with local and international NGOs, research institutes, and consulting firms, focusing on forest and land governance initiatives across Myanmar and Mainland Southeast Asia. Most recently, she worked as a Graduate Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, where she conducted land-use mapping to detect agricultural transitions and community conservation areas in Myanmar. Htet Htet holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University's School of the Environment and a Bachelor of Forestry from the University of Forestry and Environmental Science in Myanmar. In her leisure time, she enjoys house cleaning as a meditative break and binge-watching Netflix shows.

Miranda Li is a PhD student at IRES under the co-supervision of Dr. Kai Chan in the CHANS Lab and Dr. Juliet Lu in the Global Political Ecology Group. Her research focuses on the social and ecological impacts of China’s current period of protected areas reform, including the creation of national parks, the downsizing and degazettement of existing protected areas, and their broader implications for environmental governance approaches. Miranda is from New York, United States, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree at Columbia University in 2017, majoring in Computer Science and Economics–Philosophy. She received her Master’s degree in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman Scholars program in 2022. Before joining IRES in 2025, Miranda worked with two local environmental organizations in Qinghai and Sichuan, China, supporting science-based and community-based conservation programs in Sanjiangyuan and Giant Panda National Parks. She also worked with the Earth for Life team at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), analyzing changes under the global Protected Areas Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement (PADDD) initiative.

Fideline Mboringong is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry, Fideline is keenly interested in the governance of transnational land investments, particularly in mining and infrastructure projects within forest landscapes, focusing on the Congo Basin. Her passion lies in participating in discussions on mining and infrastructure investments to advocate for sustainable outcomes for forest communities and the environment. Fideline's research journey is rooted in her background at WWF Cameroon, where she spent eight years monitoring investments in the mining, infrastructure, and agriculture sectors. She employs a transdisciplinary approach in her research, aiming to delve deeper into the intricacies of these issues within the Congo Basin. Fideline holds a Master's degree in International Cooperation (Environmental Management and Sustainable Development) from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) and Università Cà Foscari of Venice. Outside her academic pursuits, she enjoys exploring new places, immersing herself in documentaries, and staying informed through podcasts.

Carina Isbell is a PhD student in the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. She holds an MS in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont. Her prior work has focused on seed saving and sharing networks, gaps and opportunities for conservation technical assistance in the US, and socio-economic benefits associated with agricultural diversification. At UBC, her PhD project focuses on framing processes—how actors negotiate, and mobilize on, ideas and meanings—and how these processes shape priorities, collaboration, and outcomes in agri-food transformation agendas across policy and advocacy spheres. She is particularly interested in the transformative spectrum of agroforestry practices and adoption discrepancies across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Ellen Li was an undergraduate research assistant for GPEG and double-majoring in International Relations and Political Science at UBC. Through her work with our group, she was inspired to examine the evolving roles of Chinese non-state actors in overseas environmental governance and natural resource management. She plans to continue exploring the political economy, geography, and global environmental politics of extractive industries in her graduate studies in the School of Environment MES Program at the University of Toronto (2024-25). Ellen was born and raised in China and has studied in Canada since high school. She participated in an exchange program at Sciences Po Paris and backpacked around Europe in 2023. She always sends herself postcards when she travels, and her goal is to build up a whole wall of postcards from around the world.

Jixiang Wang graduated from UBC in 2021 with a major in International Relations and a minor in Political Science. Her research interests include climate justice, decolonization, and art-based knowledge mobilization. Aside from the Global Political Ecology Group, she was also a Policy Analyst for the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) Climate Change branch, where she worked to produce a report on green investing in the context of Canada. She will begin as a Masters' student in the UBC Geography Department this year.

Song Fu graduated from UBC with a Master's degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs. He worked for Dr. Juliet Lu on sustainable palm oil and was a study consultant for Mekong Region Land Governance. Before coming to UBC, Song also worked as a program assistant for the immigration section of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing.

Norah Ge is an international development professional with work experience in different international organizations across North America, East Asia, and Europe. She recently graduated from UBC with a master's degree in International Forestry. Her current research interests focus on global biodiversity governance and the green development of China's overseas infrastructure investment. In her spare time, she loves to take solo road trips.

Qingyang Li is a recent graduate of the Master of International Forestry program. Her journey began with a foundation in Ecology during her undergraduate studies in China. Transferring to the University of British Columbia, she deepened her knowledge in Natural Resources Conservation with a focus on Global Perspectives. Post-graduation, Qingyang engaged in a formative internship at the Hunan Academy of Forestry, where her involvement in a local conservation project fueled her desire to further her education. She returned to UBC for her Master’s, driven by her burgeoning interest in the dynamics of global political ecology, particularly the application of international conservation agreements at various governmental levels. Qingyang firmly believes that "conservation must take root locally" to be effective, and she is determined to be a catalyst for conservation and sustainable development within her research team.

Yuxi Liu is a recent graduate of International Forestry from the University of British Columbia. With a primary focus on environmental studies, sustainability, and conservation, she brings a deep understanding of ecological system and natural resource management to her work. Additionally, Yuxi is an entrepreneur in the sustainable clothing industry, demonstrating her commitment to environmentally conscious practice and innovation in the business sector.