Rapti Siriwardane de Zoysa

Dr. Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa is the Principal Investigator of the BlueUrban project (https://blueurban.org/) at Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) GmbH, Bremen, Germany.

She is an Environmental Anthropologist with interdisciplinary training in Development Studies, Cultural Geography, Theatre Studies and Comparative Literature.

Thematic foci (current): Historic and contemporary coastal transformations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore);multi-species ethnography and the biopolitics of marine invasive species (east Caribbean); Local & gendered ecological knowledge and coastal conservation (Zanzibar); conflict, cooperation and coastal governance (Sri Lanka);

Past work: Low-carbon initiatives/agricultural sustainability(England); Public participation in climate negotiations (Germany/UNFCCC context); Maternal and child healthcare policy (Timor-Leste); Restorative juvenile justice and child protection: pro-poorurban family policy (Singapore); Labour rights, Gender and armed conflict; Media and rights (Sri Lanka).

Skill sets:
Ethnographic research and field-based participatory methods; Project management; Programme planning and evaluation; Third sector strategic planning; Project co-ordination; Script writing and documentary/ethnographic filmmaking

Postgraduate courses taught:
Development Sociology; MaritimeAnthropology (University of Bremen) Ethnographic methods (Masterslevel): Critical reading and writing skills for the social sciences (at doctoral level, at the University of Bonn)

Experience
Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) GmbH
Principal Investigator, BlueUrban project (DFG-SPP 1889) and co-PI, Southern Collective (SSRC, TC Indian Ocean)
July 2015 - Present
Bremen Area, Germany

Research areas:
Projects: Current - Principlal Investigator, BlueUrban project, co-PI WIOGEN (WestIndian Ocean Governance and Exchange Network)
Past (1) Scientific Coordinator, EMERSA (DFG-funded) - Epistemic Mobilities and the Governance of Environmental Risks in Island Southeast Asia (Indonesia,Philippines & Singapore); (2) Principal Investigator: CIRCULATIONS - Traveling Seagrasses in the East Caribbean Sea (Jamaica & Bonaire) (3) Co-Principal Investigator: MariTA - Local Marine Taxanomic Knowledge(s) in Zanzibar Geographic foci/fieldwork experience: the Malay-Indonesian & the Philippines Archipelago, the Indian Ocean World, the Lesser Antilles. - Tutoring PhD candidates at the University of Bremen (supervised by Prof. A-K Hornidge).

UNFCCC
Carlo-Schmid placement (Communications & Outreach)
January 2015 - June 2015
Bonn Area, Germany
- Assisting in the organisation of the 3rd Dialogue on Article 6 of the Convention (ACE/Action on Climate Empowerment) during SBI 42 - Developing web-based content for the Article 6 pages on the UNFCCC Secretariat's website - Editorial work on a set of guidelines for National Focal Points on Article 6 ofthe Convention

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat, Bonn
DAAD Doctoral Fellow & Junior Researcher (Aug 2011- June 2015 )
September 2011 - June 2015
Bonn Area, Germany
Research project - "Sambandam": Cooperation, Contestation and CoastalLifeworlds in Postwar Sri Lanka (summa cum laude)
Key words- Small-scale marine fisheries; militarization and border-making; collective action; migration, mobility and settlerhood

National Youth Council, Singapore
Programme Development Executive
January 2011 - May 2011
Singapore
- designed an evaluation framework and a set of research instruments for Singapore's first national school-based mentoring programme (consultancy)

World Fish
Junior Scientist (CGIAR-Canada Linkage Fund)
October 2009 - December 2009
Penang, Malaysia
Co-authored review paper on contemporary social wellbeing theories in relevance to small-scale fisheries (subsequently published in Fish & Fisheries, Jan 2013, DOI: 10.1111/faf.12016)

Transition Towns Totnes
Researcher
January 2008 - September 2008
Oxford, United Kingdom
MSc. thesis collaboration (dissertation topic: gender transformation, social movements and food relocalisation)

Beyond Social Services
Research Manager
July 2004 - August 2007
Singapore
- Conceptualised research projects entailing pro-poor child-centred researchand advocacy
- Authored concept papers, evaluation reports and policy briefs
- Coordinated in-house training and capacity building initiatives with other inter-organisational partners, the University of Bamberg and the Potsdam Universityof Applied Sciences
- Initiated/managed knowledge sharing platform on restorative practices with respect to child protection and juvenile justice
- Beyond Research (www.beyondresearch.sg) - Designed programme evaluation frameworks and managed grantapplications

Key skills: Strategic thinking and planning; developing evaluation tools; managing knowledge-sharing platforms

Social Scientists' Association
Grant writer and editorial assistant
June 2003 - September 2003
Colombo, Sri Lanka
- facilitated grant applications for a women's Tamil-language peace journal;
- edited publication issues of the Association's quarterly academic journal-'Polity.'

Worldview International Foundation (International Programmes Unit), Sri Lanka & Oslo
Youth Networks Co-ordinator
November 1999 - May 2000
- managed and facilitated the participation of over 300 international youth organisations under the project Mandate the Future.

IUCN
Research Assistant
September 1999 - November 1999
- Assisted in the organisation and preparation of material for the forthcoming Regional Redlist Workshop for South and Southeast Asia (hosted in Colombo, 1999)

United Nations - International Labour Organisation (Sri LankaCountry Office)
Research Assistant
May 1999 - August 1999
- researched for, and drafted a position paper on the state of female textile worker housing in the Sri Lankan Free Trade Zones (a project under the ILO Clean Clothes Campaign).
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Education
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat, Bonn
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Development Anthropology (2011 - 2015)

University of Oxford
Masters, Environmental Policy (2007 - 2008)

National University of Singapore
B. Soc Sci (with Honours), Sociology (focus: Environmental Anthropology), Theatre Studies & Comparative literature (2000 - 2004)