Kyunghee Kang

Ph.D. Student, Development Studies, Global Development Section

About

As a Ph.D. student in Development Studies at Cornell, Kyunghee's research explores the intersection of development-induced displacement and environmental migration within the context of climate change, with particular attention to addressing gaps in the international protection regime.

Originally from the Republic of Korea, Kyunghee holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Indiana University and an M.A. in International Cooperation from Seoul National University.

Prior to Cornell, Kyunghee served as a legislative staff at the National Assembly of Korea, where she supported congressmen in policy development and legislative activities. She engaged in policy analysis, government audits, and collaboration with civil society, the press, and the administration, focusing particularly on advancing legislative initiatives on anti-discrimination and human rights. She also gained experience with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), where she deepened her understanding of global development challenges and the links between humanitarian efforts and socio-economic progress.

Publications

Kyunghee Kang and Taekyoon Kim. (2024). "Institutionalizing Gender-Based Violence Within African Democracies: A Comparative Analysis of South Africa And Botswana". Africa Development, 49(1).

Interests

Climate change and human (Im)mobility

Migration and refugees

International protection frameworks for environmental displacement

Contact Information

kk932 [at] cornell.edu

- Current cohort, Development Studies
- Department of Global Development