Personal profile
Personal information
I am Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. My current research is animated by questions surrounding the politics and governance of finance, production and energy systems under conditions of heightened geopolitical competition. A recurring theme in my work is the role of transnational firms in shaping divergent trajectories of industrial development in Europe, China, and the Global South.
I am currently writing a book titled 'Financialising Global China and the Remaking of Liberal Economic Order' (under contract with Bristol University Press). My work has featured in journals across political science/international relations, geography and development studies, including New Political Economy, Development and Change, Journal of Economic Geography, Contemporary Politics, Geopolitics, Dialogues in Human Geography, Socio-Economic Review, and Finance and Space. I am an elected member of the Executive Council and co-organiser of Network Q: Asian Capitalisms of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, Early Career Representative of the Journals Committee of the Regional Studies Association and co-lead of the Finance and Money working group of the China in Europe Research Network. I am also a research associate of the Second Cold War Observatory, and the FINGEO network.
For a full list of academic publications see my Google Scholar page.
Ancillary activities
No ancillary activities
Ancillary activities are updated daily
Academic qualification
PhD, Investing for the state: A finance-sensitive reading of the transnationalisation of Chinese state capital in Europe, Maastricht University
Political Science and Public Administration (cum laude), Master, Universiteit Leiden
Economics and Statistics, Bachelor, University of Auckland
Keywords
- JA Political science (General)
- Political Economy
- Development
- China
- JZ International relations
- Geopolitics
- Geoeconomics
- China-EU Relations
- JQ Political institutions Asia
- HJ Public Finance
- Financial intermediaries
- Financial markets
- Investment
- Infrastructure
- State capitalism
- Financialization
- G Geography (General)
- Economic Geography
- Infrastructure
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A new age of infrastructure development? An historical comparison of nested dependency in Pakistan and Egypt
Liu, I. T. & Jepson, N., 30 Jan 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Globalizations. p. 1-21 21 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
Making sense of foreign investment screening through sectoral analysis
Liu, I. T., 27 Jan 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Dialogues in Human Geography. 4 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Comment / Letter to the editor › Academic
Open Access -
Temporary Labour Migration and Chinese State-Led Infrastructure Development in Serbia
Liu, I. T., 2025, Handbook of Chinese Migration to Europe. Thuno, M., Wang, S., Tran Sautede, E. & Tseng, Y.-C. (eds.). Brill, p. 187–211 25 p.Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile65 Downloads (Pure) -
Beyond the spatial fix: Towards a finance-sensitive reading of the Belt and Road in Serbia
Liu, I. T., 2024, In: Area Development and Policy. 9, 3, p. 343-364 22 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
Private equity firms and industrial policy: Elaborating the state-finance nexus in state-led markets
Liu, I. T., 2024, In: New Political Economy. 29, 4, p. 646-660 15 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access
Courses
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Selected Issues: Global Political Economy and Geopolitics
van Apeldoorn, B. & Mello, P. A. 1/09/25 → 31/08/26
Course
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Workshop in International Relations, Security, and Global Order
Mello, P. A. & Liu, I. T. 1/09/22 → 31/08/23
Course
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Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies geoeconomics workshop
Liu, I. T. (Participant)
2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Workshop › Academic
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Financialising global China and the remaking of liberal order
Liu, I. T. (Speaker)
2024Activity: Lecture / Presentation › Academic
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King's College London Deglobalisation Workshop
Liu, I. T. (Participant)
2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Workshop › Academic
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Financialisation: investment and societal returns
Liu, I. T. (Speaker)
2024Activity: Lecture / Presentation › Academic
Prizes / Grants
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Els de Witte Annual Prize in Political Science
Liu, I. T. (Recipient), 13 Jun 2024
Prize / Grant: Prize › Academic
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