31 July 2022

Academic Profile at the University of Helsinki website, 31 July 2022

Dr Bonn Juego is University Lecturer in World Politics at the University of Helsinki, where he teaches in the study programmes in political science, democracy, media and communication. He also has 15 years of theoretical-practical teaching and supervision experience in international political economy, history of economic thought, heterodox economics, global governance, development policy and project management from universities in Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia: 

Through competitive grants, he has held Guest Researcher and Visiting Fellow appointments at the: 

Among his scholarly activities, he is a recipient of the 2018 JYU Science Council grant for career development, and currently serves as Board Member of the Finnish Society for Development Research, Expert for the World Economic Survey of the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Invited Member of the Great Transition Initiative, Contributor to Developing Economics, Member of the International Editorial Board of the Globalizations journal, and Founding Editorial Board of the Just Ecological Political Economy - the HELSUS Global South Blog.

Prior to joining the academia, Bonn worked for government institutions, a business school, civil society organizations and social movements based in the Philippines.

 

RESEARCH

With an interdisciplinary background in the political and socio-economic sciences, Bonn's geographical area focus is on the Global South, particularly East and Southeast Asia, as well as in contemporary North-South relations. In recent years, his research work revolves around the theme of the 'Crises of Capitalist Development', which is manifested in the politico-economic concepts and socio-political phenomena that have emerged from his recent writings and publications, notably:

Over the years, Bonn has been involved in the publication, research and advocacy on issues and topics such as history of economic policy, development strategies, innovation policy, public administration, local governance, human rights and democratization, social movements and civil society, labour market regulation and social welfare, globalization and trade unions, transformative social protection, social entrepreneurship, social commons, peace and security, ecology and climate change, migration and refugees, crimes and torture, global governance and local elite perceptions, Asia-Europe relations, and Southeast Asian political economy.

Bonn has an active interest in development economics, geopolitics, political philosophy, and science, technology and innovation policy. He is an alumnus of the

reviewer for  a number of reputable academic journals and other publishers such as:

he is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Interdisciplinary Journal of International Studies, and presently an Editorial Committee Member of Asia in Focus.

Moreover, for some years now, Bonn has been a regular participant and member of D-Econ (Diversifying and Decolonising Economics); IIPPE (International Initiative for the Promotion of Political Economy); WEA (World Economics Association); AHE (Association for Heterodox Economics); EuroSEAS (European Association for Southeast Asian Studies); and NYCAS (New York Conference on Asian Studies – Association for Asian Studies).

 

The Relevance and Benefits of Ongoing Research

Bonn's current research endeavour investigates the political economy of recent foreign policy shift from the old state-to-state aid relations to the new economic diplomacy focused on private sector development. Studying this emergent phenomenon on the private turn in Nordic countries' development cooperation with different types of regime in Asia is important in terms of: [i] present knowledge of North-South development relations; [ii] feasible development strategies for both developed and developing countries; and [iii] the implications for developmental prospects and democratization processes of what used to be known as aid recipient 'Third World' countries.

The research aims to capture the realpolitik of Nordic government-business strategizing adapted to particular political-economic regime contexts of Asia's challenging markets. Its empirical findings will provide scholarly appreciation of the imperatives, as well as probable contradictions, of the concepts of PSD (private sector development) and PCSD (policy coherence for sustainable development). As such, it will also have critical relevance to all stakeholders concerned with ethics in development cooperation and the principle of policy coherence for sustainability.

Submitted grant application under review (prospective collaborators welcome):  

  • The Political Economy of Private Sector Development and Policy Coherence for Sustainability: Finland's Development Cooperation with Asia's Least Democratic Regimes
  • Doing Development with Least Democratic Regimes: The Political Economy of Finland's New Economic Diplomacy for Asian Partners

Involvement in Funded Research Projects

 

TEACHING

In terms of teaching, Bonn was nominated for a JYU Good Teacher Award, including recommendations from two Student Ambassadors, citing his problem-based learning pedagogy, empathy for students, principle of co-creating the study programme, and interactive course innovations such as "Students Meet Practitioners" discussion series, "Virtual Field Trips," "Q&T (Questions & Takeaways) Tweets," and "Simulation Games." 

Bonn has taught in different capacities as lecturer, master's thesis supervisor, group project supervisor, thesis opponent, examination censor, and teaching assistant at both the master's and bachelor's levels, as well as junior PhD-level mentoring and doctoral dissertation assessment, in the various subfields, issue areas, and geographical focus of the social sciences and humanities at:

  • Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), 
  • Aalborg University (Denmark),
  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Norway),
  • University of Jyväskylä (Finland), and
  • University of Helsinki (Finland).

He is a recipient of an Erasmus+ international staff mobility grant, and has completed several courses such as university pedagogy, innovation studies, modern China's foreign policy, critical discourse analysis, modern monetary theory, and advanced research methods.

Teaching Responsibilities, 2007-2022

  • GPC-E313: Modern Money Theory and the Revival of Classical Political Economy
  • GPC-E315: Governance of the World Economy and Its Future
  • PVK-M204: Global Political Economy
  • GPC-E311: Historical Development of Economic Theories in Changing World-Economic Contexts 
  • DEVS3016: Managing Development Projects (JYU)
  • DEVS3015: Current Trends in Development Policy (JYU)
  • DEVS3014: Contemporary Debates About Development (JYU)
  • DEVS700: International Internship (JYU)
  • DEVS3011: Orientation to Graduate Studies (JYU)
  • DEVM5001: Contemporary Topics in Development Studies (JYU)
  • YFIP1001: The State of the World - Introduction to Analyzing Social Phenomena (JYU)
  • DEVS308: Development Policy and Management (JYU)
  • DEVS222: Globalization - Perspectives from Development, Culture, and Civil Society (JYU)
  • DEVS208: Classics of Development (JYU)
  • Development Theory and Challenges to the Third World (AAU)
  • International Political Economy (AAU)
  • Political Change (AAU)
  • Supervision of master's theses (~30 completed)
  • Member of a PhD candidate's supervisory board (JYU)

Assessment and Evaluation Committee Assignments 

  • Chair, Assessment Board, Doctoral Dissertation and Defense in Development Studies (JYU)
  • External Member, Assessment Board of a Doctoral Dissertation and Defense in Political Science (JYU)
  • Member, Evaluation Committee for Docentship in JYU Development Studies (JYU)

 

SOCIAL OUTREACH AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Bonn's outreach activities include giving public lectures and presentations in government, academic, and civil society settings; providing expert opinions and development consulting; publishing Op-Eds and commentaries; and having been interviewed, cited and contacted by the international media in print, radio, tv, and websites such as: 

  • The Interpreter in Australia; 
  • Asia Times in Hong Kong/China; 
  • Politiken, InformationWeekendavisenEkstra Bladet, Danmarks Radio P1 Orientering, DR2 Udland, Nordyske, and RTV kilde in Denmark; 
  • Yle, Kansan UutisetKansan Uutiset Online, Lännen MediaNy TidDemokraatti / Arbetarbladet, Forssan Lehti,and Satakunnan Kansa in Finland; 
  • RFI - Radio France Internationale and RFI Español - Las Voces Del Mundo in France;
  • Die Zeit in Germany;
  • Rappler in the Philippines; 
  • Amnesty Press in Sweden; 
  • openDemocracy and The World Financial Review in the UK; and 
  • Báo Thế giới & Việt Nam and Báo Mới in Vietnam. 

Advising and Consulting

Invited Lectures and Public Presentations (Recent)

Press Clippings and Media Interviews (Recent) 

Grants Received (including for mobility, travels, scholarships)

 

PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS (Selected)