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Jocelyne Shimin Sze
I am a Singaporean woman of Chinese (Teochew) descent who grew up in a privileged, middle-class environment with an interest in biodiversity conservation. Transitioning from a positivist natural scientist background, I am currently seeking to understand the world from diverse and plural perspectives, in pursuit of social and environmental justice. I am particularly interested in decolonial approaches to conservation and higher education, and in navigating pathways to a degrowth planet.
Education
PhD in Biosciences
School of Biosciences
University of Sheffield, UK
2023 - 2019
- Thesis: Quantifying conservation outcomes in Indigenous peoples’ lands across the tropics
- Examined deforestation, forest integrity, and vertebrate species range distributions on Indigenous lands and state-managed protected areas across the tropics
- Grantham scholar and received University of Sheffield Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Committee Fee Scholarship
MRes in Ecosystem & Environmental Change (Distinction)
Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park)
Imperial College London, UK
2016 - 2015
- Thesis: The Identification and Predictive Modelling of Global Deforestation Hotspots
BA in Natural Sciences (2nd upper class honours)
Peterhouse
University of Cambridge, UK
2013 - 2012
- Specialised in Zoology (ecology, conservation & palaeontology)
- Jardine scholar
Research Experience
Post-doctoral researcher
Conservation Data Justice, Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
current - 2023
- Examining how geospatial data are used in conservation
- Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellow 2025-2027
GIS consultant
N/A
Remote
2021 - 2019
- Conducted spatial GIS analysis for the Global Deal for Nature 30 By 30 project, evaluating costs and benefits of expansion of global Protected Areas to 30% by 2030
Research associate
Coupled Human-Natural Systems lab, Asian School of the Environment
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2018 - 2017
- Evaluated the ecological and social factors behind forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant
School of Biosciences
University of Sheffield, UK
2021 - 2019
- Served as GTA for undergraduate R courses on R and statistics
Selected Talks and Posters
Political realities of Indigenous inclusion in Global South conservation policy and practice
Oaxaca, Mexico
2024
- Poster presentation of ongoing research on Indigenous Peoples’ inclusion in Nepal’s conservation sector
Big geospatial data and just conservation
Oaxaca, Mexico
2024
- Presented ongoing research on global geospatial data used in conservation prioritisation in the session on Conservation as a Land-Use
Ecological Economics and Indigenous Stewardship
European Society for Ecological Economics (online)
2024
Missing the trees for the forest: Oversights of Big Data in forest conservation
Stockholm, Sweden
2024
- Poster presentation for panel on Digital transformation in forest governance- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Challenging colonial practices in research: A guide for PhD researchers
UK Research Integrity Office
2024
- Invited speaker on Decolonised Research Culture and Practice
- Based on an online guide co-developed with other PhD researchers at the Uni. of Sheffield Challenging colonial practices in research: A guide for PhD researchers
Quantifying conservation outcomes in Indigenous Peoples’ Lands across the tropics
Brownbag lunchtime seminar
ICIMOD, Nepal
2023
- Invited speaker on Indigenous peoples and conservation, presenting work from my PhD research
Global protection of biodiversity–Impact of the new CBD framework on German government action
Hearing of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
online (German Bundestag)
2023
- Invited expert to speak on the importance and rights of Indigenous peoples in relation to conservation
Publications
Indigenous Peoples’ Lands are critical for safeguarding vertebrate diversity across the tropics
Sze et al, Global Change Biology, 30(1), e16981
N/A
2024
A global conservation basic income to safeguard biodiversity
de Lange et al, Nature Sustainability, 6(8), 1016-1023
N/A
2023
Unravelling the Local Dynamics of Increasing Fires in Community Forests of Mid-Hills of Nepal
Tiwari et al, Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 21(1), 60-71
N/A
2022
Indigenous lands in protected areas have high forest integrity across the tropics
Sze et al, Current Biology, 32(22), 4949-4956
N/A
2022
Reduced deforestation and degradation in Indigenous lands pan-tropically
Sze et al, Nature Sustainability, 5(2), 123-130
N/A
2022
Indigenous agricultural practices and biodiversity in the occupied Palestinian territories
Saif & Sze, Reference module in earth systems and environmental sciences
N/A
2021
Projecting the performance of conservation interventions
Law et al, Biological Conservation, 215, 142-151
N/A
2017