CV

Academic Biography

since 2015

Research Group Leader ERC Starting Grant Project Remoteness & Connectivity: Highland Asia in the World

2016

Field research in Nepal, Visiting Research Fellow at ICIMOD (International Center for Integrated Mountain Development), Kathmandu.

2013-2015

Marie Curie Fellow at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

2011–2013

Postdoctoral Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

2010–2012

Postdoctoral Associate in the School of Anthropology, University of Oxford.

2006–2010

Doctoral studies on a Clarendon scholarship at the University of Oxford, Institute of Social & Cultural Anthropology, under the supervision of Charles Ramble and Elisabeth Hsu. Thesis: Manufacturing Tibetan Medicine. The Creation of an Industry and the Moral Economy of Tibetanness, assessed by Marcus Banks and Mona Schrempf.

2007–2008

Field research on the industrialisation of Tibetan medicine in the People’s Republic of China and transnational trade in medicinal plants.

2005–2006

Lecturer for Visual Anthropology at the University of Zurich, assistant to Prof. M. Oppitz. Responsibilities: teaching an introductory course in visual anthropology and a seminar on making ethnographic films, supervising student film projects, contributing to the exhibition “Trommeln der Schamanen” (2007-2008).

1998–2005

Studies of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Zurich, Lic. phil (summa cum laude).

2003–2005

Masters thesis, including feature length documentary film “Journeys with Tibetan medicine”.

2003

Field research in Buryatia on the history of Tibetan medicine in Russia.

2002

Exploratory field research in Northern India on Tibetan medicine and ritual music (five months).

2000

Field research on ageing in Zurich’s red light district, documentary film “Mosimann”.

1994–1995

Theatre studies at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Awards and Grants

2018

Road Diplomacy: International Infrastructure and Ethnography of Geopolitics in 21st Century Asia (with Galen Murton), 2018–2020 (2 years), Marie S. Curie Incoming Fellowship (Road Diplomacy, 751131).

2015

ERC-Starting Grant, Project Remoteness and Connectivity: Highland Asia in the World, 5 years of funding for a team of 4 people (2015-2020).

2013

Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship, FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF, Project NEIGHBOURING – 298595, 2 years of funding

2012

Research Grant, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

2011

ARI Academic Event Funding, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; used to organise international workshop “The Art of Neighbouring”, 1–2 March 2012

2011

Research Fellowship for Prospective Researchers, Swiss National Science Foundation (18 months).

2010

Writing-up bursary, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnology, Oxford.

2009

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s Travelling Scholarship to India.

2008

Recipient of Zurich University’s research funding (tenable for last phase of research and writing up 2009 - 2010).

2007

SASS Language Training Grant for the study of Tibetan at Tibet University in Lhasa; Society for South Asian Studies (UK).

2006

Clarendon Scholarship; University of Oxford (3-years full funding).

2006

ORS Award (Overseas Research Students Award Scheme, UK Government, 3-years)

Professional Experience Outside Academia

2013

Consultant for the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; responsible for acquisition, outline, and organisation of photographic work and video footage for the 2014 exhibition “Bodies in Balance”.

1998 - 2003

Assistant editor of the Journal “Panorama”, project administrator, “Berufsbildungsprojekte Wettstein GmbH” (part time).

1994–1998

Actor, writer and stage director, and dramatic adviser in various theatre projects.

1994–1995

Freelance designer (education materials, poster & flyer design).

1993

Carpenter and joiner, social worker with mentally handicapped persons in Kreuzlingen (4 months).

1992–1993

Gardener, social worker with mentally handicapped persons in “Aigues Vertes”, Camphill Community near Geneva (6 months).

1991–1992

Stained Glass Design, Atelier Tre Fiori, Saint Gallen (internship, six months).

Theatre Plays

1997

Director: “Versuch mit der Dauer der Liebe”, theatre play, on tour in Switzerland (St. Gallen, Frauenfeld, and Zurich).

1996

Director/writer: “Cyberfaust”, theatre play, on tour in Switzerland (St. Gallen, Zurich, Luzern).

Internet Projects

since 2012

The Other Image – Visual Ethnography: www.theotherimage.com.