Phillips Appointed as Visiting Professor to Duke Kunshan University for Fall Semester

The policy expert and global development researcher will work with DKU’s International Master of Environmental Policy program, furthering research on low-carbon development and investment.

Jonathan Phillips, director of the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project at Duke University, will be a visiting associate professor at Duke Kunshan University (DKU) in China during fall 2023.

At DKU, Phillips’ research and teaching will further ongoing work around international climate finance, rural electrification, off-grid energy systems and energy for productivity in developing countries.

“Investment decisions made in developing countries over the next decade will determine whether low-carbon pathways out of poverty and climate vulnerability are possible for millions, and whether the next global surge in emissions can be avoided,” Phillips said. “The United States and China remain the most critical partners in this mission, and I am excited to continue the work of the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project over the next semester at Duke Kunshan University, while working with the next generation of leaders in this space.”

Phillips will teach Energy 790, Clean Energy in Emerging Economies: Policy, Technology, and Business Models as an elective in the International Master of Environmental Policy (iMEP) program. iMEP is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary program uniting economics, political science, sociology, history, law, statistics and environmental science. With semesters spent in both China and the United States, iMEP graduates serve the growing demand for policy analysts and environmental and business managers ready to take on complex global problems like climate change and food security.

While in Kunshan, Phillips will continue his examination of just energy transitions in low- and middle-income countries, mobilizing investment for adaptation and U.S.–China relations and the competition for climate and clean energy leadership.

Phillips has served as director of the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project since it was established in 2017. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach to developing sustainable, modern energy solutions around the world by advancing foundational research and fostering constructive dialogue among policymakers, entrepreneurs and scholars to support evidence-based decision-making. Key partners at Duke are the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability; the Sanford School of Public Policy; the Nicholas School of the Environment; and Bass Connections.

Phillips holds an appointment with the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. He previously served in senior roles at the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, U.S. Agency for International Development and in the U.S. Congress.