A research and activism agenda...

Welcome to Cosmopolitanism's Ghost.

This blog reflects and mediates the issues and areas of my independent research and somewhat more erratic activism. Although not an 'academic' blog as such, the material here will relate to academia and academic research in various ways.

In this space my purpose is to - at the risk of stating the obvious - not so much to explore 'cosmopolitanism' but as to refract this concept through other areas and fields of study and analysis, and vice versa.

My research interests include: Conflict, ethnic identity, human rights and security, international human rights and humanitarian law, migration, multiculturalism and its cousin 'interculturalism', politics, religion, and social movements. They centre on and around Asia -- specifically, my home region of Southeast Asia as well as Central Asia, a part of the world that I have personal links to and which both fascinates and horrifies me - a little bit - at the same time.

I am also interested in exploring the intersections of comic books, films, and books of speculative fiction (particularly science fiction and fantasy) with international politics and current issues that affect human beings in our contemporary societies; the notable sub-genres are alternate history, urban fantasy, and steampunk. It is surprising what these types of literature can reveal to us about life.

Comments are welcome. (Just keep them respectful to the author,  i.e. me, and fellow commenters. Thank you.)