Professor Dr. Elisa Tamburo

Biography

Elisa Tamburo is a sociocultural anthropologist and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University as well as the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Her research interests intersect urban, political, and environmental anthropology, with a focus on East Asia (China, Taiwan) and East Africa (Kenya). She specializes in the transnational transformation of cities in rapidly urbanizing contexts. Her current research project, 'URBANEG - Negotiating City: Urban Planning and Dwelling in China-Built Urban Infrastructure in Nairobi, Kenya,' investigates how Chinese-funded infrastructure is transforming urban life in Nairobi. Elisa's book titled 'Exiled City: Belonging, Loss, and Politics of Relocation in Taipei's Military Village' examines the aftermath of failed political ideals through the lens of Kuomintang's (KMT) failed China reunification project as experienced by veterans of Taiwan's military dependents' villages. The book, which discusses the resettlement of these veterans and their families in the wake of a collapsing nationalist vision, has been reviewed by Cornell University Press. In the academic year 2024-2025, she will serve as a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, teaching courses related to anthropology, China, and cities.

Research Interests

Experience