CCDP to Host New Ambizione Project on Aid and Rebel Governance in Myanmar
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has awarded 76.4 million Swiss francs to ninety two early career researchers through its Ambizione funding project. Each awardee will receive an average of 830,000 francs to lead their first independent research project at a higher education institution in Switzerland. Since its launch in 2008, Ambizione has supported promising scholars from Switzerland and abroad, strengthening the next generation of academic leadership.
The CCDP is pleased to announce that one of the newly funded projects, intended to begin in January 2026 and run for four years, will be hosted at the Centre. We will welcome Dr Shona Loong, Senior Scientist in Political Geography at the University of Zurich, whose work on Myanmar is grounded in nearly a decade of long term collaboration with local organisations. More about Dr Loong’s research background can be found on her personal site.
About the Project:
For decades, OECD states have relied on foreign aid to stabilise central governments in conflict affected contexts. The situation in Myanmar since the 2021 coup presents a sharp departure from this pattern. Western governments now find their political interests more aligned with a wide network of armed groups that form the Spring Revolution. These groups are fighting to restore democracy, and they control significant territory across the country. As a result, aid actors are cautiously exploring how to support revolutionary groups as they attempt to provide democratic and responsible governance. In effect, they are seeking to support forms of rebel governance.
The project examines this shift through three core questions. How is foreign aid being used in the Spring Revolution. How do aid flows shape relations between Western governments and Burmese revolutionaries. And how does this support influence the trajectory of the revolution itself. The research will draw on qualitative fieldwork in two border areas of Myanmar, as well as policy research in Geneva, Washington, and other centres of aid decision making.
Governing the Revolution will contribute to debates in human geography, development studies, and international relations. The outputs will include several journal articles and a monograph, with insights for policymakers navigating the role of foreign aid in an evolving geopolitical landscape.
The CCDP looks forward to hosting this work and supporting Dr Loong as the project takes shape.