Karen P.Y. Lai
@karenpylai.bsky.social
professor of economic geography | deputy editor-in-chief @financeandspace.bsky.social | editor of economic geography | money & finance | fintech | data centres | financial centres | Asia
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
As an alumni of Syracuse University, it's appalling that they are capitulating against a right-wing campaign against Professor Farhana Sultana for exercising her first amendment rights. Do consider signing this letter calling on Syracuse University to reinstate her docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Letter of Support for Professor Farhana Sultana
As scholars within and beyond academia, we write in solidarity with academic freedom of expression with our colleague, Dr. Farhana Sultana, an internationally recognized scholar and tenured Full Profe...
docs.google.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:08 PM
As an alumni of Syracuse University, it's appalling that they are capitulating against a right-wing campaign against Professor Farhana Sultana for exercising her first amendment rights. Do consider signing this letter calling on Syracuse University to reinstate her docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
🏢 What lies beneath China’s rapid urban expansion?
🔎 Ang Liu’s article in Economic Geography reveals how “fake equity” enables developers to mask liabilities, linking urban growth to deeper financial vulnerabilities.
🔗 Read more at
doi.org/10.1080/0013...
#EconomicGeography
🔎 Ang Liu’s article in Economic Geography reveals how “fake equity” enables developers to mask liabilities, linking urban growth to deeper financial vulnerabilities.
🔗 Read more at
doi.org/10.1080/0013...
#EconomicGeography
October 28, 2025 at 3:38 PM
🏢 What lies beneath China’s rapid urban expansion?
🔎 Ang Liu’s article in Economic Geography reveals how “fake equity” enables developers to mask liabilities, linking urban growth to deeper financial vulnerabilities.
🔗 Read more at
doi.org/10.1080/0013...
#EconomicGeography
🔎 Ang Liu’s article in Economic Geography reveals how “fake equity” enables developers to mask liabilities, linking urban growth to deeper financial vulnerabilities.
🔗 Read more at
doi.org/10.1080/0013...
#EconomicGeography
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
Got sharp insights on the shifting financial landscape?
In addition to original research articles, we accept submissions on a rolling basis for:
📝 Short-form commentaries
📊 FinVis – innovative visualizations that bring finance to life
More info here www.tandfonline.com/journals/rfa...
In addition to original research articles, we accept submissions on a rolling basis for:
📝 Short-form commentaries
📊 FinVis – innovative visualizations that bring finance to life
More info here www.tandfonline.com/journals/rfa...
Learn about Finance and Space
Learn about Finance and Space aims & scope, editorial board, journal metrics and more.
www.tandfonline.com
June 27, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Got sharp insights on the shifting financial landscape?
In addition to original research articles, we accept submissions on a rolling basis for:
📝 Short-form commentaries
📊 FinVis – innovative visualizations that bring finance to life
More info here www.tandfonline.com/journals/rfa...
In addition to original research articles, we accept submissions on a rolling basis for:
📝 Short-form commentaries
📊 FinVis – innovative visualizations that bring finance to life
More info here www.tandfonline.com/journals/rfa...
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
How do financial actors turn climate chaos into durable assets - and what happens when those assets crack under pressure?
Rob Aitken’s new paper traces the politics of climate risk, from micro-insurance to ISDS.
Out now in Finance and Space: doi.org/10.1080/2833...
Rob Aitken’s new paper traces the politics of climate risk, from micro-insurance to ISDS.
Out now in Finance and Space: doi.org/10.1080/2833...
Building and protecting assets in the spaces of climate risk-making
In this paper, I explore two cases of climate financialisation: micro-insurance for climate uncertainty among the global poor, as well as attempts to rescue asset value via investor-state dispute m...
doi.org
June 4, 2025 at 8:29 AM
How do financial actors turn climate chaos into durable assets - and what happens when those assets crack under pressure?
Rob Aitken’s new paper traces the politics of climate risk, from micro-insurance to ISDS.
Out now in Finance and Space: doi.org/10.1080/2833...
Rob Aitken’s new paper traces the politics of climate risk, from micro-insurance to ISDS.
Out now in Finance and Space: doi.org/10.1080/2833...
In support of colleagues at Newcastle University who are facing compulsory redundancies. Newcastle Geography have been such a core strength of UK economic geography and internationally for decades. Please consider signing the petition:
chng.it/bhRgKMVtkK
chng.it/bhRgKMVtkK
We Can Make an Impact.
End unnecessary redundancies at Newcastle University
chng.it
June 1, 2025 at 9:57 AM
In support of colleagues at Newcastle University who are facing compulsory redundancies. Newcastle Geography have been such a core strength of UK economic geography and internationally for decades. Please consider signing the petition:
chng.it/bhRgKMVtkK
chng.it/bhRgKMVtkK
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
This arrived the other day! Paperback! Available from 20th of this month and much more affordable at £28.99. 30 brilliant chapters on contemporary economic geographies, and all written by female and non-binary authors.
May 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
This arrived the other day! Paperback! Available from 20th of this month and much more affordable at £28.99. 30 brilliant chapters on contemporary economic geographies, and all written by female and non-binary authors.
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
The spring 2025 edition of the geography department alumni newsletter is now available to view and download on the geography alumni website. You can also find interviews with alumni and a history of the geography department on the website. www.dur.ac.uk/departments/...
April 2, 2025 at 11:11 AM
The spring 2025 edition of the geography department alumni newsletter is now available to view and download on the geography alumni website. You can also find interviews with alumni and a history of the geography department on the website. www.dur.ac.uk/departments/...
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
📣 Finance & Space's Annual Lecture 2024 'The Waterworks of Money' from Martijn van der Linden, Thomas Bollen and Carlijn Kingma, online now:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
April 25, 2025 at 8:46 AM
📣 Finance & Space's Annual Lecture 2024 'The Waterworks of Money' from Martijn van der Linden, Thomas Bollen and Carlijn Kingma, online now:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Another doctoral viva completed! 🎉 A pleasure to examine William Bratton's DPhil (Oxford) thesis on 'The Geographies of Financial Information and Knowledge: A Study of Sell-side Equity Research' with Elena Pierard. Congratulations to Dr Bratton, and cheers to an extra special weekend! 🥂
March 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Another doctoral viva completed! 🎉 A pleasure to examine William Bratton's DPhil (Oxford) thesis on 'The Geographies of Financial Information and Knowledge: A Study of Sell-side Equity Research' with Elena Pierard. Congratulations to Dr Bratton, and cheers to an extra special weekend! 🥂
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
climate risk x muni bonds 🔥⛈️🏦
Mark Davidson and Samuel Cooper examine trends in how municipalities disclose climate risk to prospective bondholders
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Mark Davidson and Samuel Cooper examine trends in how municipalities disclose climate risk to prospective bondholders
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
March 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
climate risk x muni bonds 🔥⛈️🏦
Mark Davidson and Samuel Cooper examine trends in how municipalities disclose climate risk to prospective bondholders
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Mark Davidson and Samuel Cooper examine trends in how municipalities disclose climate risk to prospective bondholders
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Excellent closing plenary by Emma Mawdsley at #FinGeo Conference, on aid and d/Development under Trump. Difficult questions about aid-industrial complex, shutdown of USAID, rupture but also continuities of criticisms of #Development. Rounding off a fantastic 3 days of financial geography discussion.
February 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Excellent closing plenary by Emma Mawdsley at #FinGeo Conference, on aid and d/Development under Trump. Difficult questions about aid-industrial complex, shutdown of USAID, rupture but also continuities of criticisms of #Development. Rounding off a fantastic 3 days of financial geography discussion.
Superb pair of sessions at #FinGeo conference today on teaching financial geography. Very thought provoking and useful to think about how we teach, purposes, different countries and student profiles, materials and activities etc.
February 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Superb pair of sessions at #FinGeo conference today on teaching financial geography. Very thought provoking and useful to think about how we teach, purposes, different countries and student profiles, materials and activities etc.
Job done! 🎉 Official handover to the new #FinGeo leadership at the conference today. It was great hearing the reflections from outgoing leadership and visions from the new leadership team. In other news, we seem to have adopted a new FinGeo mascot — Figgy the Piggy!
February 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Job done! 🎉 Official handover to the new #FinGeo leadership at the conference today. It was great hearing the reflections from outgoing leadership and visions from the new leadership team. In other news, we seem to have adopted a new FinGeo mascot — Figgy the Piggy!
Fantastic first day at the 2nd #FinGeo Global Conference in Singapore. Such a delight to see so many old friends and also new faces. Good food, good chats, stimulating sessions. More tomorrow please!
February 26, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Fantastic first day at the 2nd #FinGeo Global Conference in Singapore. Such a delight to see so many old friends and also new faces. Good food, good chats, stimulating sessions. More tomorrow please!
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
Agreed! Also, how central #centralbanks are to all this - especially to #climate !
Great start to the #FinGeo Global Conference!
Great start to the #FinGeo Global Conference!
Fantastic opening plenary by Eric Helleiner at 2nd #FinGeo Global Conference on ‘Geopolitics & Geoeconomics of Finance’. Delicate work in pulling together different strands of pandemic, geopolitical, climate, and geoeconomic shifts, and how finance is central to this conjectural global polycrisis.
February 26, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Agreed! Also, how central #centralbanks are to all this - especially to #climate !
Great start to the #FinGeo Global Conference!
Great start to the #FinGeo Global Conference!
Fantastic opening plenary by Eric Helleiner at 2nd #FinGeo Global Conference on ‘Geopolitics & Geoeconomics of Finance’. Delicate work in pulling together different strands of pandemic, geopolitical, climate, and geoeconomic shifts, and how finance is central to this conjectural global polycrisis.
February 26, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Fantastic opening plenary by Eric Helleiner at 2nd #FinGeo Global Conference on ‘Geopolitics & Geoeconomics of Finance’. Delicate work in pulling together different strands of pandemic, geopolitical, climate, and geoeconomic shifts, and how finance is central to this conjectural global polycrisis.
Great to meet such diverse and engaging group of researchers at the 3rd #FinGeo School this afternoon in Singapore. Stimulating discussions on #publishing for early career researchers and how to generate #ResearchImpacts across various domains. @regstud.bsky.social @financeandspace.bsky.social
February 25, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Great to meet such diverse and engaging group of researchers at the 3rd #FinGeo School this afternoon in Singapore. Stimulating discussions on #publishing for early career researchers and how to generate #ResearchImpacts across various domains. @regstud.bsky.social @financeandspace.bsky.social
🇸🇬Shipping containers and high rise buildings as plane approaches Singapore. This view never gets old 💗 Hope I get over jet lag in time for the 3rd #FinGeo School and 2nd FinGeo Global Conference!
February 23, 2025 at 4:47 AM
🇸🇬Shipping containers and high rise buildings as plane approaches Singapore. This view never gets old 💗 Hope I get over jet lag in time for the 3rd #FinGeo School and 2nd FinGeo Global Conference!
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
Portuguese editorial cartoonist Zez Vaz reaches back to Tiananmen Square to call on American defiance.
February 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Portuguese editorial cartoonist Zez Vaz reaches back to Tiananmen Square to call on American defiance.
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
New OA position paper out on "The gamification of citizenship" - really enjoyed writing this, bringing together #citizenship #digital #rewards #volunteering www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The gamification of citizenship
This paper outlines the ‘gamification of citizenship’ through a focus on digital rewards, participation and volunteering. In recent years, a proliferation of mobile apps have incentivised behaviour...
www.tandfonline.com
January 21, 2025 at 9:04 AM
New OA position paper out on "The gamification of citizenship" - really enjoyed writing this, bringing together #citizenship #digital #rewards #volunteering www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
Critical Sociology compiled Michael Burawoy's articles and allowed free access.
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
February 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Critical Sociology compiled Michael Burawoy's articles and allowed free access.
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
I hope other journals will do the same.
journals.sagepub.com/page/crs/vir...
Reposted by Karen P.Y. Lai
If you are interested in finding out more about Postgraduate Taught courses @geogdurham.bsky.social come and speak to us! We are running a course presentation and Q&A event in the Department on March 5th:
February 12, 2025 at 11:39 AM
If you are interested in finding out more about Postgraduate Taught courses @geogdurham.bsky.social come and speak to us! We are running a course presentation and Q&A event in the Department on March 5th:
A pleasure to host Vladimír Pažitka for a seminar at @geogdurham.bsky.social Fascinating insights into how the ‘Atlas of Finance’ came together, the team, ideas and processes behind the amazing visuals. Co-hosted with Durham Centre for Visual Arts & Culture.
February 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
A pleasure to host Vladimír Pažitka for a seminar at @geogdurham.bsky.social Fascinating insights into how the ‘Atlas of Finance’ came together, the team, ideas and processes behind the amazing visuals. Co-hosted with Durham Centre for Visual Arts & Culture.
Such fun to have some of my Chinese PhD students and colleagues over to celebrate lunar new year. Yusheng is a specific Singaporean/Malaysian tradition. Rather pleased with my homemade version. Lo hei! 捞起！风生水起！好运连连！🥢🥳🧧🍊
February 9, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Such fun to have some of my Chinese PhD students and colleagues over to celebrate lunar new year. Yusheng is a specific Singaporean/Malaysian tradition. Rather pleased with my homemade version. Lo hei! 捞起！风生水起！好运连连！🥢🥳🧧🍊