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Staff Profile

Dr Adam Badger

Lecturer in Economic Geography

Background

I am an economic geographer researching the interface between digital technologies, the city, and lived experience.


My interdisciplinary (Geography and Business Studies) PhD thesis Labouring at the Interface: Exploring the rhythms and resistances of working in London’s food delivery gig economy combined nine months of ethnographic research as a food delivery courier in London for various platforms, with eighteen months of ethnographic study of resistance practices at grass-roots, migrant led union, the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB). Here, I observed how the union worked with members from all across the globe to bring them together in expressing their desires for change in the urban arena of London. This direct, hands on experience with the work and unionisation elements of platform labour demonstrated the high levels of skill workers develop and deploy in their daily lives navigating London's streets and complex markets, and how these interactions form the basis of subsequent resistance efforts.


I am currently turning the work into a monograph which is under contract with Bristol University Press, Forthcoming Spring 2027


Post PhD, I worked at Oxford University as part of the Fairwork Project. I was directly responsible for research teams and activities in six countries (UK, Singapore, Philippines, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania). I also worked across the total 38 country teams and supported research into AI, Cloud-/Micro-work, and online sex work. I have collaborated, taught and supported impact activities across Asia, Latin America, Europe and MENA, in addition to working with multiple stakeholders (ILO, UN, World Bank, Amazon, Deliveroo, Uber and others, where I managed the relationships between these stakeholders and Oxford University) to bring about policy changes that have improved working lives for over 1million workers world wide. This work is supported by working with policy and law makers in the UK, Chile, Spain and elsewhere to create research led changes to law by national governments.

 

Further research activity has focussed on just transitions in Australia (British Academy) and local economic responses to COVID-19 in the UK (AHRC), with a focus on approaches to regional development and support ‘from below’ – an approach that takes seriously the voices of those communities initiatives are built to serve, but are frequently excluded from decision making processes.

 

My current ongoing work is situated in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University. It explores the role of AI in relation to local and regional economic development in international contexts. This includes early work investigating the AI supply chain that he and collaborators categorise as made-up of four interconnected spheres:

 

AI Infrastructure (Minerals, GPUs, data centres, assembly plants, logistical networks, etc)

AI Preparation (Work in both high tech hubs to develop AI models, and in global south to train data, filter content, etc)

AI Deployment (AI’s life in the outside world – Who is using it? Where are they using it? And to what ends?) 

AI E-Waste (AI’s afterlife – what happens when GPUs and other elements vital to AI need to be recycled? Are they?)

 

The near monopolisation of key players is of deep concern for a global economy, encouraging whispers in the financial markets and media about an ‘AI bubble’ that threatens to wipe billions in value from the economy. For example, NVIDIA controls up to 95% of the market for AI GPUs; their strategic production partner, Taiwan Semi-Conductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) control up to 90% of AI chip manufacture and in turn, use machines in their fabless engineering of these chips made by only one company in the world, Dutch firm ASML. 

 

My research informs leading edge teaching and scholarship, for which I have received awards. My pedagogic practice is predicated on blending theory with policy, practice and action both within and beyond the classroom with the aim of supporting students to use Economic Geography and Urban Planning as a lens through which to view our contemporary worlds. I have supported graduates into roles in government, industry and the third sector both in the UK and internationally.

 

My current teaching at Newcastle spans across UG and PGT offers. I am primarily engaged in teaching in the Geography Department, but also lead the Geography and Urban Planning joint honours programme in collaboration with Dr. Emma Ormerod. I regularly travel for visiting lectures, including most recently at University of Toronto, Canada and the University of Concepción, Chile.

 

Sadly, I am currently unavailable to take-on new PhD students due to the fixed-term nature of my contract at Newcastle University. If you’re interested in these ideas and further study and do want to chat, please do feel free to reach out – I love talking to exciting people about exciting ideas!



Research

My research interests span Economic Geography, Local and Regional Development, and Digital Technologies in relation to urban space.


I am oriented by big questions of what they mean for our lived worlds and the systems that underpin them across multiple stakeholder groups. I am currently undertaking research into AI and it's relationship to Local and Regional Development in the UK and abroad.


Please note, my most up to date list of publications is currently available on Google Scholar account - available here https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=trzrwWAAAAAJ&hl=en. If you have any questions, reflections, critique or talking points about any of my work you may have engaged with, please don't hesitate to get in touch.


Projects I have worked on:


"Covid-19 mutual aid groups and their lessons for post-crisis community care". This study investigated the mutual aid practices people engaged in throughout the pandemic to support each other and survive. We produced a Manifesto for Mutual Aid, an interactive documentary and a feature-length documentary film alongside other academic journal outputs, all of which are available for free here - https://mutualaid.uk/ (Royal Holloway, 2021-2022)


"Just Transitions in Australia: Moving towards low carbon lives across policy, industry and practice". This study investigates the possibility and promise of transitioning away from fossil fuel and carbon heavy lives in Australia. The full report and shortened summary are available here: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/just-transitions-in-australia-moving-towards-low-carbon-lives-across-policy-industry-and-practice/ (Royal Holloway, 2021-2022)


"Fairwork". In this project, I worked across international contexts (UK, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Philippines and Singapore) to investigate the lived experience of platform work internationally as part of a 250-person team spanning 38 countries. I worked with fellow researchers, workers, unions, government ministers, international organisations (like the World Bank and ILO) and companies (including Amazon, Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat and Stuart) to create positive changes for workers in the platform economy. The changes we have been part of making have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of gig workers world-wide. The project website is available here https://fair.work/ (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 2018-2020; 2022-2024).


I completed my Undergraduate (BA Geography, 2012-2015) Masters (MA Cultural Geography, 2015-2016) and PhD (Geography and Management, 2016-2022) at Royal Holloway, University of London.


Research Awards and Recognition:

Shortlisted. Research Engagement Award, University of Oxford.

Highly Commended. Scaling/Sustaining Impact for the Social Science Impact 2025, University of Oxford.

Highly Commended. Vice Chancellor’s Innovation and Engagement Awards, University of Oxford.

Highly Commended. Excellence in Impact Awards, University of Oxford.

Shortlisted. Falling Walls. Science Breakthrough of the Year, University of Oxford.

Runner-up. Antipode Most cited paper 2020 - second most cited paper of 2020 - This paper is now the most cited published on Antipode since publication in June 2020.


Grant Successes:

Geography, Politics and Sociology - Small Research Fund. Value £1400 (PI) ‘Working with, through, and against AI: Discovery research into AI use in the contemporary workplace’.

ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (ES/X004449/1). Value £2,440 (Co-I) in collaboration with Dr Martí López-Andreu. ‘The regulation of work andemployment in the platform economy: Developing Transnational Organisational LearningqExperiences of regulation from below in the UK and Spain.’

John Fell Fund (0011391).Value: £10,000. (Co-I) with Funda Ustek Spilda ‘Unpaid Labour in the Platform Economy’.

Management School (now re-named as ‘Business School’) RHUL Organisation Studies Small Grant. Value £1500 (Co-I) money awarded for production and printing of Invisible Worker ‘Zine issue 2: The Digital Labourer. Monies administered and managed, payments made to artists and workers. Launch event funded and organised.

Teaching

I am an active and engaged teacher of UG, PGT and PGR students in the Geography Department and CURDS at Newcastle University, building on my experiences teaching PGT at Oxford University, and of UG and PGT teaching at Royal Holloway, University of London.


My pedagogical approach is carefully tailored to braid theory, practice, policy and action together both within and beyond the classroom. My teaching is research led, informed by my own work, and the work of others in my department and wider academic community.


Current teaching responsibilities include:

Programme Leadership:

LK74 BA Geography and Urban Planning (coordinating liaison between Geography and Planning Departments)


Module Leadership:

GEO2236 Between Two Unions: Ireland Human Geography Field Course (Belfast & Dublin)


Undergraduate Teaching:

GEO3114 Local and Regional Development, lecturing and assessment

GEO3099 Human Geography Dissertation, supervision and assessment

GEO2140 Research Design for Human Geography, lecturing and assessment

GEO2099 Economic Geography, lecturing and assessment

GEO2043 Key Methods for Human Geographers, lecturing and assessment, and support to Graduate Teaching Assistants in course delivery.

GEO1024 Coasts and Communities: Human Geography Field course first year domestic field course teaching around the North East

Moderation across Newcastle University Geography Modules. 


Post Graduate Teaching:

GEO8000 Global Sustainable Futures: Solutions, Concepts, and Skills, designing and delivering teaching and delivering assessment as part of module team.

GEO8010 Creative Methods in Social Science, designing and delivering teaching and delivering assessment as part of module team.

GEO8017 Human Geography, Concepts in Action, designing and delivering teaching and delivering assessment as part of module team.

 

External Examination:

Universiti Brunei Darussalam Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences


Teaching Awards:

Nominated. Vice Chancellor’s Education Excellence Award (in progress, for AY25-6).

Winner. Newcastle University Student Staff Committee of the Year (AY24-5). Runner-up. Staff Facilitator of the Year (AY24-5). Winner. Summer Institute of Economic Geography, Singapore – selected to attend to share knowledge and experience of teaching Economic Geography with colleagues. Award includes funding for travel and accommodation (selection panel Prof Jamie Peck and Prof Henry Yeung).


Administration:

I undertake multiple administrative roles at Newcastle University, including:


Student Staff Committee lead – for which I have won awards from Newcastle University Students’ Union  

Selection for the Dean of Students’ ‘Voice’ Working group responsible for working with Deans and senior management across the university to discover best practice and design and implement systems for improved participation and engagement in the future.

Human Geography Teaching Advisory Group Lead for Economic Geography Cluster responsible for leading curriculum development, review and quality assurance in Newcastle Geography.

Module Leadership (and associated booking, risk assessing, etc) of the Ireland Human Geography Field Trip



Publications