Visiting Researcher
Michael Chew is an sustainability educator, community cultural development practitioner, and photographer/designer with degrees in Mathematical Physics, Photography, Humanities and Social Ecology. He has worked in community-based urban sustainability for over 8 years and is passionate about the potential that participatory photography has to empower and connect communities and organisations working in these areas globally. His international perspectives come from a range of global solidarity initiatives: he co-founded the NGO Friends of Kolkata, to coordinate international volunteer programmes and teach participatory photography, he worked in Bangladesh on climate adaptation, then co-founded Friends of Bangladesh to continue climate justice solidarities activities on his return to Melbourne.
He is currently pursuing doctoral research exploring how participatory photography can inspire mutual learning across urban sites in Bangladesh, China and Australia.
Research Interests:
Urban community climate adaptation/resilience, participatory photography/video, climate justice, qualitative research methodologies, environmental philosophy and eco-phenomenology