Dana Rice

Dana Rice is a PhD Candidate and Lecturer in International Relations at Australian National University. She previously studied at European University at Saint Petersburg, where she has remained involved for several years as Editor-in-Chief of ENERPO (Energy Politics of Eurasia) Journal. In 2022, Dana was also a visiting fellow at KIMEP University in Kazakhstan.

Dana’s focus is China-Central Asia relations and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the last six years, she has researched and published on many aspects of BRI, from hydrocarbon investments to popular perceptions and, most recently, the Digital Silk Road (DSR).

While certain DSR issues such as China’s possible weaponisation of undersea cables or export of surveillance technology receive much attention, DSR’s commercial side is under-investigated. During her time at Weizenbaum, Dana will complete a research project on the rise of Chinese e-commerce platforms and their effect on the traditional bazaar culture in Central Asia.