About

Anna is based in the Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages and Linguistics. At the intersection of the economy, society and policy, a major theme of Anna’s research is work and employment, in relation to sustainability, climate change and corporate responsibility. Anna’s newest project focuses on the potential of Natural Language Processing (a branch of AI) to benefit societies in low-resource settings; for this Anna is focusing on Nepal and Uganda.

In relation to social and environmental sustainability, Anna has conducted research with diverse actors including policy makers, NGOs, investors and corporations to understand the business case for living wages. Her research on the case for living wages was discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos. On the circular economy, Anna calls for greater social responsibility. Anna has also produced research for the International Labour Organization on youth employment policies, gender and unpaid work, and decent work in recycling.

Anna’s research on youth employment brings together young people’s perspectives, statistical data, and the broader policy context. Projects within this work stream have addressed how young people in Uganda are impacted by and responding to climate change in their working lives; diary-based research to understand how young people in Indonesia and Nepal “got by” during the Delta wave of COVID-19; and statistical and policy reviews on youth employment in seven African countries. This collaborative research often adopts a co-research approach.

Anna is Director of the Business Fights Poverty Institute, a consultant to the International Labour Organization, and an associate of the Young Lives project. She sits on the Steering Committee of the University of Cambridge Centre for Human Inspired Artificial Intelligence, writes for The Conversation, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Research

Work and Employment; Living Wages; Green, Circular and Care Economies; Youth Livelihoods; Austerity and Inequality; Equitable Artificial Intelligence; Public Policy