Professor Dr. Lian Sinclair

Biography

Lian Sinclair is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, specializing in the fields of political economy, geography, and development governance within the context of mining in Australia and Southeast Asia. Lian’s research critically examines the interactions between corporations, governments, community groups, and NGOs concerning the uneven costs and benefits of extractive industries. With a strong qualitative approach, Lian employs critical ethnographic methods to generate detailed insights into the complex impacts of mining, significantly informing strategies for improved developmental outcomes. Having worked with large collaborative teams across business and academic institutions, Lian brings a wealth of experience to address medium-term policy challenges related to mining. Lian's Ph.D. from Murdoch University, awarded for 'Best Traditional Thesis,' investigated corporate-community conflict in Indonesian mining contexts, utilizing extensive fieldwork funded by the Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship. Lian coordinates undergraduate courses and supervises postgraduate research at the University of Sydney, with current teaching philosophy heavily influenced by feminist and queer transformative pedagogies, aiming to create authentic learning experiences that promote critical thinking among students. Lian’s ongoing research is focused on critical mineral global production networks, particularly the implications of the emerging electric vehicle and renewable energy industries and their associated environmental and social challenges.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards