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Richard Friend

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of York
Richard Friend joined the Department of Environment and Geography in 2016. He has a background in social anthropology and development studies, with a PhD from the University of Bath (UK) based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in southern Thailand. He has over twenty-five years experience working in Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. He speaks Thai fluently and is proficient in Lao.

The main focus of his work has been on the poverty and governance dimensions of social and environmental transformations, particularly around fisheries, water resources, urbanization and climate change. His most recent work has addressed water governance in Israel and Palestine, and issues of systemic risk - focusing on food systems in Thailand. He has a longstanding interest in scientific and indigenous knowledge and the role of engaged research in driving social change.

His professional work has involved a range of responsibilities - programme management, capacity building, and policy-oriented action research. He has worked in senior management and advisory positions for the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), the Institute of Social and Environmental Transition, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the WorldFish Centre, and taken on consultancy roles for a range of NGOs (including Oxfam, Save the Children), UN agencies (UNDP, FAO and UNCDF) and bilateral donors (including DFID, Danida and Sida).

Global Geopolitics Series

Collaborative water management can be a building block for peace between Israelis and Palestinians

Oct 31, 2023 01:21 am UTC| Life

Water is a central element of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel controls several water pipelines entering Gaza, much as it controls most of life there. But water can also be a source of hope for an...

Economy

ECB Warns of Rising Inflation Risks Amid Iran War Energy Shock

The European Central Bank faces mounting pressure to act decisively as inflation risks intensify across the euro zone. ECB Governing Council member Dimitar Radev has cautioned that price expectations could shift more...

Energy Prices and Dollar Climb as U.S.-Iran Conflict Grips Global Markets

The U.S. dollar remained close to recent highs on Tuesday as global markets braced for a critical deadline set by President Donald Trump, demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping or face...

China's Fermented Feed Push: Cutting Soybean Dependence Amid Trade War

China is rapidly scaling up the use of fermented animal feed as part of a broader strategy to reduce its reliance on imported soybeans a shift driven equally by trade tensions with the United States and long-term food...

U.S. Futures Slip as Iran Rejects Ceasefire and Trump Deadline Looms

U.S. stock index futures edged lower Monday evening as investors remained on edge over escalating tensions in the Middle East, with President Donald Trumps deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fast approaching...

Gold Prices Drop for Third Consecutive Session Amid Iran Tensions and Inflation Fears

Gold prices continued their downward trend in Asian trading on Tuesday, marking a third straight session of losses as markets grappled with mounting inflation concerns and escalating geopolitical tensions tied to U.S....

Politics

Trump May Delay Iran Military Strike If Diplomatic Deal Shows Promise

President Donald Trump is reportedly open to postponing planned military action against Iran should credible signs of a diplomatic breakthrough emerge, according to multiple media outlets citing an Axios report. U.S....

Iran-Israel War Escalates as Trump's Ceasefire Deadline Looms

Tensions in the Middle East reached a critical flashpoint as Iran and Israel continued exchanging strikes, with Tehran firmly rejecting a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal just hours before a deadline issued by President...

Vance Visits Hungary to Back Orban Ahead of Pivotal 2025 Elections

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Hungary this week in a show of political solidarity with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces his most difficult re-election battle since coming to power in 2010. The two-day...

China's Push to Steal Taiwan's Chip Technology and Talent Raises Security Alarms

Taiwans National Security Bureau has raised serious concerns about Beijings escalating efforts to infiltrate the islands world-class semiconductor industry. According to a report submitted to Taiwanese lawmakers, China is...

UN Security Council Votes on Watered-Down Strait of Hormuz Resolution Amid China Opposition

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, though the proposal has been significantly weakened following resistance from...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Samsung Electronics Posts Eightfold Profit Surge Driven by AI Chip Demand

Samsung Electronics delivered a stunning financial turnaround in the first quarter of 2025, projecting operating profit of approximately 57.2 trillion won (roughly $38 billion) a more than eightfold increase compared to...

Apple's Foldable iPhone Faces Engineering Setbacks, Mass Production Timeline at Risk

Apples highly anticipated foldable iPhone is running into significant engineering hurdles during its test phase, raising concerns about potential delays in both mass production and product shipments, according to a report...

Britain Courts Anthropic Amid US Defense Department Dispute

The United Kingdom is actively working to attract Anthropic, the company behind the popular Claude AI app, to expand its footprint in the country. This diplomatic push comes as Anthropic finds itself in the middle of a...

OpenAI Executive Shake-Up Ahead of Anticipated 2026 IPO

OpenAI is navigating a significant leadership restructuring at one of the most pivotal moments in its history. The AI powerhouse confirmed that Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap is transitioning into a newly created...

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...