James Keeley

James Keeley is a China analyst and project manager specialising in agricultural technology and innovation, China as an international development actor, Chinese policy, institutions and political economy, and agricultural development in Africa. He can work in Chinese and has over 20 years experience of working in China. He is a director with Mobility for Africa, a social enterprise piloting Chinese three-wheeled vehicles and renewable energy charging innovations in Zimbabwe, to facilitate enhanced mobility and development opportunities for rural women. He was previously Head of the Programme Management Office for AgriTT, a Department for International Development funded trilateral cooperation programme in the agricultural sector with Chinese and African government partners, combining pilot projects in Malawi and Uganda and management of a Research Challenge Fund. Prior to this James was based in Ethiopia where he was a long-term consultant on an Irish Aid agricultural innovation project in Tigray and Southern Region. He was previously Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development where he was China lead and worked on sustainable agriculture issues for a range of clients. Prior to this he was a Research Officer at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, working on policy processes for genetically modified crops and soils management. James has also worked on health sector assignments, including on malaria control. He has expertise in project monitoring and evaluation.