Klinger Wins East Asia Professorship
Julie Klinger, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was awarded the East Asia Studies Career Development Professorship by the BU Office of the Provost.
“Julie Klinger’s in-depth fieldwork in global geography examines rare earth prospecting and mining, with special emphasis on the development and geopolitics of resource frontiers in China, Brazil, and Outer Space, and their impact on local populations and environments,” said the announcement of the award from University Provost Jean Morrison. “Both individually and collectively, these awards highlight the caliber, potential, and continued vitality of Boston University’s diverse faculty, and serve to buttress BU’s ongoing efforts to lead not only as a global research institution, but also as an incubator of outstanding young talent and exciting new ideas.”
Klinger specializes in development, environment, and security politics in Latin America and China in comparative and global perspective. She is currently completing a book project on the global geography of rare earth prospecting and mining. Her research emphasizes in-depth fieldwork to examine the processes through which resource frontiers are produced at local and global scales. She has worked extensively in rural and frontier regions in Brazil and China over the past decade.
“I am delighted and honored to receive this award! In addition to providing the resources to finish my current book project on the global rare earth frontier, the East Asia Studies Career Development Professorship provides support that is crucial to deepen and broaden my research on China and Latin America, particularly on the vital issue of rare earth elements,” Klinger said. “I am extending my research in Inner Mongolia into a longitudinal study on the relationship between changes in rare earth mining practices and local environmental and epidemiological trends, as well as investigating the proliferation of black market mining operations in far-flung places across the globe, particularly in the Western Amazon region.”
The award was announced on Sept. 11, and was was launched this past January through the backing of a BU alumnus based in Taiwan. It recognizes assistant professors in the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Communication, the College of Fine Arts, and the Questrom School of Business whose research is specific to East Asia. The award includes a three-year, non-renewable stipend designed to support scholarly or creative work, as well as a portion of the recipients’ salaries. Nominations are submitted by academic deans from across the University, and awardees are selected by the Office of the Provost.
“The Pardee School was delighted to be able to hire Julie Klinger as a new professor, and is very happy she has been selected for a very impressive University-wide honor,” said Dean Adil Najam. “The professorship will provide Julie with the resources to pursue an aggressive research agenda in linking natural resource policy to critical regions – China and Brazil.”
Learn more about Julie Klinger here.