Biography

Tayyab Safdar completed his MPhil and PhD in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. His current research explores the emerging dynamics of South-South Development Cooperation, especially after the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRi) in 2013. His research also looks at the economic and political dimensions of increasing Chinese investment on host countries that are a part of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), focusing particularly on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Tayyab’s research has been published in the Journal of Development Studies and Energy for Sustainable Development.

Prior to joining UVA, Tayyab was a Newton Trust Post-Doctoral researcher at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge.

Spring 2021 Dr. Safdar will be teaching the course "Globalisation and the emerging dynamics of South – South development cooperation."

This course provides an introduction to the concept of globalisation, looking at the effect of economic globalisation across different regions and countries in the developing world. The course’s main focus is on understanding the drivers of increasing South – South development cooperation. Using empirical evidence from initiatives such as the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as well as the BRICS block, the course delves deeper into the emerging dynamics of increasing South-South cooperation, the main drivers of this cooperation, the sectors where cooperation is increasing, the modes of cooperation that have emerged between developing countries and the opportunities as well as challenges that exist for smaller developing countries.