James Downes

I am an Assistant Professor (Professorial Track) in Comparative Politics & International Relations, in the School of Arts & Social Sciences at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). I am also a Research Fellow in the Public & Social Policy Research Centre at HKMU.

I am a currently a Senior Research Fellow & Head of the Populism Research Unit at the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right. I am also a Research Fellow (Honorary) in the Global Europe Centre at the University of Kent/Brussels School of International Studies and an Associate Research Fellow at the Center for Research & Social Progress (based in Italy).

I have extensive managerial and leadership experience at the University level, with a focus on internationalization. Until June 2022, I was a Lecturer in Comparative Politics and Global Studies, alongside being the Head (Chair) of the Undergraduate Admissions & PR Panel in the Department of Government & Public Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (SAR, China). I served on the MPUP (MSSc in Public Policy Programme) Programme Management Committee (ExCo) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. I was also the Head (Chair) of the Faculty of Social Sciences Student Discipline Committee and as a Panel Judge for the CUHK University Senate. I have served on the Executive Committee of the International Affairs Research Centre, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at CUHK.

I completed my PhD in Comparative Politics (50th Anniversary Research Scholarship) in the School of Politics & International Relations at the University of Kent (UK). I was also a Visiting PhD Scholar at The Brussels School of International Studies, a Visiting Scholar at The European Union Academic Programme Hong Kong and a Visiting PhD Scholar in the Department of Government and Public Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

I have obtained Certificates in Advanced Quantitative Methods Training (Quantitative Text Analysis, Machine Learning and Multilevel Modelling) from the Department of Politics & International Relations at the University of Oxford (Oxford Spring School in Advanced Research Methods) alongside a Certificate in Data Science from the Hertie School Data Science Lab. I also hold an MSc in Political Science (Focus on Public Opinion & Polling) and a BA in Politics (Government) with First Class Honours from the Department of Government at the University of Essex (UK).

Selected Awards & Grants:

2023: General Research Fund (GRF). Role: Co-Investigator. Project: "Reassessing the political and economic impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative and foreign investments. PI: Dr. Mathew Wong (EduHK). Co-Investigators: Prof. Peter Cheung and Dr. Yin Weiwen. (Proposal: In Preparation).

2022: €100,000. (Approved). Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence Project. (Erasmus +: EU Commission Grant). Role: Co-Investigator. (Department of Government & International Studies, HKBU). Project: “The COVID-19 Pandemic: Political & Institutional Trust in Europe & Asia.” PI: Prof. Alistair Cole (HKBU).

2022: Top Cited Article (2020–2021) JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. “The Looming Refugee Crisis in the EU: Right-Wing Party Competition and Strategic Positioning.” JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies.

2022: Awarded the CUHK Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award (2021). The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

2022: Awarded the Faculty of Social Science Exemplary Teaching Award (2021). (Ranked Number 1 For Outstanding Teaching). Faculty of Social Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

2022: $5,200 HKD. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Research Grant. University of Oxford, Spring School in Advanced Research Methods. Course: Quantitative Text Analysis.

2021: £200. European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference Grant. ECPR: Extremism & Democracy Steering Group.

2020: $33,000 HKD. Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies Small Research Grant. International Affairs Research Centre. CUHK.

2017: $30,000 HKD. European Commission Grant (EUAP) European Union Academic Programme Hong Kong