Skip navigation

Gabriele Giovannini

Gabriele Giovannini Northumbria UniversityPhD Project

The transformative capacity of Transboundary Infrastructure in Small States: a Case Study of Laos

Bio

Gabriele Giovannini is a PhD Student in International Relations at Northumbria University at the Department of Social Sciences and Languages.

He is supervised by Dr. Oliver Hensengerth and Prof Matt Baillie Smith. His research aims to investigate the extent to which large transboundary infrastructure can help overcoming a Small-State paradigm and to this end Gabriele's research uses Laos as a case study.

The aim is to examine the transformative capacity of infrastructure projects for the regional and international power position of small countries that have traditionally been perceived as weak. The research is especially interested in examining if, and how, transboundary infrastructure can lead to the transformation of a country’s power position. This involves an in-depth examination of the characteristics and implications of selected large transboundary infrastructure in Laos and to this end Gabriele is planning to carry out a period of fieldwork in the country during his second year.

From a theoretical perspective, the case study of Laos aims to contribute to literature on Small States in the broader International Relation (IR) field, providing an analysis of an often overlooked country and adding transboundary infrastructure as a new variable so far neglected in Small States studies. 

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Geographic focus: Southeast Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, Mekong Region, Laos

Thematic interests: International Relations (IR), Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), Geopolitics, Small States, Diplomacy, Non-traditional Security, Water Diplomacy, Transboundary Infrastructure, International Negotiation. 

Publications

Giovannini, G. (2013), ‘The garden of harmonious censorship’, East-Global Geopolitics, No. 48 July/August 2013, pp. 70-71

Giovannini, G. (2013), ‘Myanmar’s Time’, Longitude, The Italian Monthly on World Affairs, No. 33, pp.106-109

Giovannini, G. (2014), ‘Gateway to China’, Longitude, The Italian Monthly on World Affairs, No. 35, pp. 58-63

Contact

Email: gabriele.giovannini@northumbria.ac.uk
Twitter: @gabrigiovannini
Linkedin


Latest News and Features

Images shows the logo of Northumbria University's Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation Laboratory
Eating Disorder Research Animation Still
Dr Henrik Melin pictured with a life-sized replica of one of the Webb telescope’s 18 individual hexagonal mirrored panels. Image credit: Barry Pells/Northumbria University.
Professor Arlene Astell
Dr David Littlefair and Dr Joanne Atkinson, Deputy and Head of Department for Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing at Northumbria University are joined by public policy researchers, Professor Matthew Johnson, Dr Howard Reed, Dr Elliott Johnson and Dr Graham Stark.
The IDEAS-NET Team (L-R), Dr Eduwin Pakpahan, Professor Tracy Finch, Dr Sebastian Potthoff, Professor Katie Haighton, Professor Angela Bate (Co-Director), Professor Sonia Dalkin (Co-Director), Professor Joanne Gray, Professor Tom Sanders, Dr Jason Scott (Deputy Director), Professor Darren Flynn, Jamie Taylor (Project Manager)
More news
More events

Upcoming events

Back to top