Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science

Resident Fellowship Years: 2024-2025

Faculty Profile: Iasmin Goes

Research Focus: Seven countries first discovered fossil fuels in the 21st century: Ghana (2007), Mozambique (2009), Sierra Leone (2009), Ethiopia (2010), Tanzania (2010), Senegal (2014), and Guyana (2015). Others, like Suriname or Equatorial Guinea, already had known hydrocarbon deposits but only began exploration recently. These low to middle income countries face widespread poverty and inequality, so oil and gas production would provide a welcome source of revenue. There is just one problem: the world is moving away from fossil fuels, and countries like Ethiopia or Guyana are not powerful enough to have a say in this process. I aim to write a new book manuscript that examines the fate of these new fossil fuel producers — which, ironically, are among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. I argue that a just and sustainable transition cannot happen at the global level unless these countries’ interests are taken into consideration.