Dr Anisa Muzaffar

Anisa Muzaffar is a development economist and currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation (CSST).

Anisa completed her PhD in development economics at King’s College London, where her research explored the paradox of production capabilities within the context of Global Value Chains (GVCs). Focusing on the case of natural rubber in Malaysia, her research finds that greater integration into the global economy can lead to a decline in domestic production capabilities as the linkages between the domestic upstream and downstream sectors breakdown. The research theorises that the developmental state plays a crucial coordinating role in maintaining these domestic production linkages, which GVCs may otherwise undermine.

Prior to pursuing her PhD, Anisa gained valuable experience in various public policy and research organisations. She worked with the UK Collaborative on Development Research to create a more coherent funding landscape for development research, contributed to financial sector development at the Central Bank of Malaysia, and managed South-South Cooperation initiatives at the United Nations Development Programme.

Anisa’s inter-disciplinary academic background cuts across economics, development, and politics. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Sussex, where her dissertation focused on the impact of growth and trade on deindustrialisation. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Government and Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

• Structural transformation
• Global Value Chains
• Production capabilities
• Emerging Economies