Greetings!

I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the Einaudi Center for International Studies’ Southeast Asia Program (SEAP) at Cornell University, where I also teach a course on sustainable finance at the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. I am currently on the 2024-25 job market.

My research agenda aims to bridge three policy areas: sustainability, public budgeting/finance, and infrastructure. One of my ongoing projects examines the evolution of climate policy in Indonesia, highlighting the complex trade-offs between economic growth and environmental protection typically seen in developing countries. Prior to this, with support from the Dean’s Fellowship and the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship, my dissertation investigated the fiscal implications of environmental shocks like flooding and hurricanes for American states and localities. During the 2019 Indonesian presidential election, I was selected as a fellow in the Australian National University’s New Mandala program to write about infrastructure finance and policy.

I received my PhD from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, both in public policy. Beyond academia, I have consulted internationally for the World Bank, USAID, and the Economist Intelligence Unit, and previously served as an Associate Director at Indonesia’s Presidential Office (UKP4).

Email me at aichiro@cornell.edu.