For Prospective Students

“Alex provides step-by-step guidance on things I was unfamiliar with, such as writing manuscripts, revising articles, understanding major vs. minor revisions, responding to reviewers, and working with collaborators. This was especially helpful early in my PhD. He also gives detailed feedback on students' writing: reading work carefully and providing constructive comments from the overall structure and argument to finer details.”

“He also changed the way I read academic papers. Organizing the literature into structured frameworks taught me to look beyond a paper’s data and conclusions and think more carefully about its analytical framework, the question it is trying to answer, and how its argument is constructed.”

“Looking back, these experiences prepared me for my current internship at the United Nations ESCAP. Much of my work now involves collecting and analysing transport policies across Asia and the Pacific, synthesising literature, developing analytical frameworks, and communicating research findings for policymakers. The skills I developed while working with Alex, particularly systematic coding, comparative policy analysis, critical evaluation of AI outputs, and organising large qualitative datasets, were directly transferable to this project.”

“The most important lesson I learned is how to become a more independent researcher. Rather than providing step-by-step instructions, Alex encouraged me to think through problems on my own and develop my own reasoning before asking for help. At first this was challenging, but over time I became much more comfortable exploring different solutions independently, identifying potential issues, and taking ownership of my research. I realized that doing research is not about waiting for answers from a supervisor, but about learning how to ask the right questions and think critically.”

“Alex frequently encouraged me to think beyond the task immediately in front of me and instead ask how each analysis contributed to the overall research question. Rather than simply completing analyses one by one, I learned to understand the logic connecting the research question, methodology, empirical results, and the story we ultimately wanted to communicate. This helped me appreciate that good research is built around a coherent narrative rather than a collection of individual analyses.”

“Although I have limited experience working closely with other professors, I feel that Alex provides comprehensive training across the entire research and publication process, which may be less common in a larger lab or research-group environment. His supervision covers developing ideas, formulating research questions, reviewing literature, selecting methods, analyzing data, writing manuscripts, responding to reviewers, and revising papers. This comprehensive training has helped me understand not only how to conduct research, but how to develop a project from an initial idea into a publication.”

“He respects students' time and personal space. For example, no urgent meetings unless something is genuinely urgent.”

“Alex gives students autonomy and encourages independence in research. For example, I always felt safe and encouraged to express my own ideas and perspectives on our projects, as well as to provide feedback and make edits to our manuscripts (even in the early stage of our collaboration). This made me feel like a genuine collaborator rather than someone simply carrying out instructions.”

“As a research assistant, I appreciate his hands-off approach as I am someone who tends to work well independently. However, Alex is very supportive for any questions or concerns that may arise.”

“If you expect your supervisor to tell you exactly what to do at every stage or to provide a highly structured path for what you should learn, you may find his mentoring style more challenging. He tends to encourage students to take ownership of their work and learn through exploration, while providing support whenever it is needed.”

“I think Alex's mentoring style is an excellent fit for students who are self-motivated, curious, and willing to think independently. He sets high expectations and encourages students to take ownership of their research, but he is always willing to provide thoughtful guidance and feedback when needed. Students who are eager to learn, open to constructive criticism, and interested in developing into independent researchers will benefit tremendously from working with him.”

“Come prepared to ask questions, think independently, and offer your own interpretation of the results. If you are looking for a mentor who gives students real opportunities to participate in research and takes their ideas seriously, Alex is exactly that!”

“Alex is a very direct person, which also means that students can speak openly with him about their concerns and needs. For example, I once mentioned in an email that I had been under considerable pressure. At the next group meeting, he raised the issue first, discussed it with me, and helped clarify how the work could be adjusted. On another occasion, I explained that I was not very familiar with the large language model component of the project and might need guidance from someone with more specialised expertise. A few days later, he emailed me to say that he had found a suitable collaborator. For students working with Alex, especially as research assistants, I would suggest communicating your needs directly and honestly. Most issues can be discussed with him openly. He will make his own professional assessment, but he is willing to listen and adopt suggestions that he considers reasonable.”

“Importantly, Alex is an incredibly supportive mentor for discussing matters of professional development and personal growth.”

“He invests in students' long-term growth, not only in immediate research progress but also in career development. For example, he frequently asks you to reflect on how you present yourself and frame your work coherently.”

“Beyond the research itself, Alex encouraged me to participate in a case study competition and gave me a great deal of advice and information throughout my PhD application process. I am very grateful for his generous mentorship over the past two years.”

“I also appreciated how much he cared about the future careers of his research assistants. He regularly shared opportunities, provided advice tailored to each student's interests, and genuinely invested in helping us develop whether we planned to pursue academia, international organisations, or industry. That level of consideration made me feel that I was being mentored as a person.”