Postgraduate research students

Research Summary

The research aims to advance dialogue between two major themes in International Political Economy (IPE): Geoeconomics and Sustainability in Trade, and to explore how they interact with each other. The global trade and economic system is undergoing a significant geoeconomic shift shaped by intensifying US–China power rivalries. At the same time, there are growing global efforts by states and corporates, to incorporate non-trade sustainability agendas–such as labor rights, human rights and environmental sustainability–into trade policy.

This research examines: how do shifting geoeconomic factors in the trade regime affect the effectiveness of social standards in trade agreements?

In particular, it gives attention to the interactions between one of the major Global North normative powers–the European Union (EU), and a key geostrategic bloc in the Global South–Southeast Asia.

Research Interest

• International Political Economy
• Trade and Sustainable Development (labor/human rights, environmental sustainability)
• Geoeconomics and Geopolitics
• Social Standards in Trade Agreements
• EU/Southeast Asia Trade Policy

Research Group

• International Political Economy & Development
• International Relations

• Wu, Zhihang. Principles or Pragmatism: Geoeconomics and Social Standards in EU Free Trade Agreements with Southeast Asia, Submitted to Review of International Political Economy, under Peer Review.
• Nessel, Camille, and Wu, Zhihang. Framing Europe: National Identity and EU Trade-Sustainability Diplomacy in Indonesia and Vietnam, Submitted to JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, under Peer Review.
• Cai, Yanjun, and Wu, Zhihang (2022) The Philippines Economy in 2020-2021: Recession and Recovery Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, In: Blue Book of the Philippines: Annual Report on the Development of the Philippines, Social Sciences Academic Press, pp.36-62.

• Dr Maha Rafi Atal
• Dr Patrick Shea

• August 2025, 'Contest or Complement? Interrelation between Unilateral and Bilateral Approaches within EU Trade and Sustainable Development governance in Southeast Asia', University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) 2025 Conference, Liverpool, UK.
• August 2025, 'Framing Europe: National Identity and EU Trade-Sustainability Diplomacy in Indonesia and Vietnam', with Camille NESSEL, University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) 2025 Conference, Liverpool, UK.
• August 2025, 'Carrots or Sticks? Unpack the Geopoliticization of Critical Minerals in Global South: the Case of Indonesia', European International Studies Association (EISA) 2025 Conference, Bologna, Italy.
• May 2025, 'Principles or Pragmatism: Geoeconomics and Social standards in EU Free Trade Agreements with Southeast Asia', European Union in International Affairs (EUIA) 2025 Conference, Brussels, Belgium.
• August 2024, 'The rise of geoeconomics: unpack the transformation of EU trade policy in Southeast Asia', European International Studies Association (EISA) 2024 Conference, Lille, France.
• July 2024, 'The rise of geoeconomics: unpack the transformation of EU trade policy in Southeast Asia', European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EUROSEAS) 2024  Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• April 2024, 'Principles or Pragmatism: Social Standards in Free Trade Agreements between EU and ASEAN countries', Association of Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS) PhD Workshop, Malang, Indonesia.
•  June 2023, 'Environmental Standards in EU-ASEAN countries FTAs: Case of EU-Indonesia FTA negotiation'; 'Economic Interactions between European Community and Indonesia in the 1970s and 1980s',  British International Studies Association (BISA) 2023 Conference, Glasgow, UK.
• November 2020, The 2nd High-Level Forum of Philippine National Development, School of International Relations and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University.

• Politics 1A: Introduction to Politics
• Politics 1B: Introduction to International Relations
• Research Method: Qualitative Methods

PhD Representative in Politics and International Relations