Dipl.-Geogr. Dr. Simon Bunchuay-Peth
Dipl.-Geogr. Dr. Simon Bunchuay-Peth
Post-doc
Contact
Department of Geography and Regional Research
Universitätsstraße 7/5, D512
1010 Vienna
Tel.: +43-1-4277-48686
Email: simon.bunchuay-peth@univie.ac.at
Office Hours: Mondays, 3 to 5 pm
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Teaching
Biographie
I am a human geographer focusing on social and development geography in the global south. In my work I focus on issues related to social inequalities, human-technology-relations, human-environment-relations, and social resilience in the context of globalisation. I am particularly interested in the diversifying patterns of mobilities and migration as well as digital transformations in the global south. My theoretical approach is, among others, inspired by Bourdieu's theory of practice, the new mobilities paradigm, as well as debates on translocality, transnationalism, and social resilience. In my point of view good geographical research should not only be theoretically profound but also empirically grounded. There is no good theory without proper and profound empirical research and vice versa.
I studied geography, development economics, and anthropology at the University of Bonn and focused in my PhD research on migration and translocal dimensions of social resilience in gendered migration systems. I very much appreciate working with Mixed-Methods and Multi-sited Ethnography and have worked for many years also with participatory methods in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore, and Germany. I think as researcher, we also have the essential task to follow a 3rd Mission, which is why not only interdisciplinary but also transdisciplinary research is very important to me. Hence, besides my passion for empirical research, I am very much involved #SciComm and have implemented several projects such as the photo project Work Men on the Move.
Research interests
Conceptual: Transnationalism and translocality; social theories of practice; vulnerability and social resilience; entitlement approaches; transient urbanism
Thematic: social-geographic inequalities; rural-urban geographies; social adaptation to climate change; migration & mobilities; digital transformations in the global south
Methodological: Mixed-methods (MMR); qualitative social research; multi-sited ethnography; participatory research; visual methods
Regional: South- and South-East Asia (Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore); Horn of Africa (Ethiopia)
Honors & International Activities:
- 2024 → Guest Professor at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University (RILCA)
- 2022 → National Sustainability Award Austria, for the joint Aurora Lecture on “Sustainability and Climate Change“, 3rd place in the category of Communication and Decision-Making by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology and the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research
- 2019 → EU ERASMUS plus Scholarship, visiting researcher (Mahidoln University, Bangkok)
- 2015 – 2016 → Grant for science communication, “Neue Vermittlungsräume” (Leibnitzinstitut für Länderkunde, project: Work Men on the Move
Supervision of Master Theses
- Katharina Göricke (in progress): Critical Discourse Analysis of Documentary Films (Exposé Titel)
- Ihlenburg, Maximilian (2024): Romania's last primary forests: film-based science communication in geography.
- Novoa Leal, Pedro Felipe (2023): Forced migration from Venezuela to Germany since 2016: the German asylum system, the perception of the Venezuelan applicant/refugee and their agency, [completed].
- Trikha, Iris (2022): Urban flooding caused by solid waste: the effect of waste in drainage systems in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Co-supervision with Prof. Tabea Bork-Hüffer, [completed].
- Kaltenberger, Evamaria (2020): The Rise of Silicon Savannah: Digitalisierung als Chance für die Entwicklung Kenias?, [completed].