Roman Vakulchuk
Senior Research FellowRoman Vakulchuk is a senior research fellow at NUPI. He holds a PhD degree in economics obtained from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. His main geographical specialization is Kazakhstan, other countries of Central Asia and Ukraine and he publishes on economic transition and integration, climate change, trade, infrastructure and transport, business climate and business culture, as well as state capitalism in emerging markets.
Vakulchuk has work experience as a project leader and expert within research projects organized by among others the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the MFA and the Research Council of Norway. Roman also worked at the oil company Shell in Germany. He speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, German and French.
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Research project
Research Capacity and Cooperation in Myanmar (RECCOM)
2018 - 2021 (Ongoing)This project aims at building increased analytical capacity among Myanmar researchers.
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Publication
: Report
The Pandemic as a Litmus Test for (Dis)Engagement of External Powers in Central Asia
2020This study provides an empirical overview of pandemic-related external assistance to the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by partner countries and international organisations between March and September 2020. This state-of-the-art review of Central Asia official... -
Publication
: Report
Discovering Opportunities in the Pandemic? Four Economic Response Scenarios for Central Asia
2020The COVID-19 crisis represents not only an unprecedented economic disruption but also an opportunity for Central Asia. A specific economic policy response may trigger either game-changing reforms that can facilitate the development of full-fledged market institutions or lead to a protracted crisis that... -
Publication
: Academic article
Using satellite data and machine learning to study conflict-induced environmental and socioeconomic destruction in data-poor conflict areas: The ca...
This paper studies socioeconomic and environmental changes in the neighboring areas Bangladesh-Myanmar border from 2012 to 2019, thus covering the period before and after the 2017 Rakhine conflict in Myanmar and outflux of refugees across the border to Bangladesh. Given the scarcity and costliness of... -
News
Why lack of will to limit climate change amongst ASEAN states?
12.04.2021The countries of Southeast Asia are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Why, then, has there been so little will to take action? This paradox is the focus of a new article from the ACCEPT project. -
Publication
: Academic article
The ASEAN climate and energy paradox
This article carries out a multisectoral qualitative analysis (MSQA) and policy integration analysis of six sectors important for climate mitigation in Southeast Asia in order to assess the status of the climate-energy nexus in the region. It concludes that Southeast Asia will be heavily affected by... -
Publication
: Report
Vietnam: Six Ways to Keep Up the Renewable Energy Investment Success
Vietnam is one of the most attractive destinations for renewable energy investment in ASEAN. In 2018, the country attracted USD 5.2 billion. In 2019, the share of renewable energy in the energy mix was 9%, thus already exceeding the 7% target set for 2020. If Vietnam is to continue its success and compete... -
Publication
: Report
Thailand: Improving the Business Climate for Renewable Energy Investment
Thailand is among ASEAN’s renewable energy leaders. It attracted more than USD 10.7 billion of investment in renewable energy from 2006 to 2018. The country’s total installed capacity of renewable energy represented over 60% of the total capacity of ASEAN in 2019. Renewables accounted for 15% of its... -
Tue 15 Dec 2020Event
Kazakhstan's Reforms during the Pandemic: Progress and Challenges
Time: 14:00 Location: WebinarCovid-19 has led to a global economic crisis, but how has the pandemic affected Kazakhstan and the other countries in Central Asia?
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Publication
: Academic article
Sharing the Spoils: Winners and Losers in the Belt and Road Initiative in Myanmar
This article studies the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on economic actors in Myanmar. It hypothesizes that the BRI has strong transformative potential, because Chinese projects are likely to transform Myanmar’s economy on different scales and influence the allocation of economic benefits... -
Publication
: Report
Singapore: How to Attract More Investment in Renewable Energy?
Singapore has limited renewable energy potential due to its small surface area and the limited space available. Solar power has the greatest potential. Given the country’s limited spare land, rooftops and vertical spaces on high-rise buildings are of particular importance. Singapore set a target of producing... -
Publication
: Report
The Philippines: How to Leapfrog from a Complicated Renewable Energy Sector to an Attractive One
The Philippines set the target of increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix from 16.9% in 2019 to 26.9% by 2030. This ambitious target requires significant additional investment in renewable energy. It has been estimated that the Philippines could attract USD 20 billion in renewable... -
Publication
: Report
Myanmar: How to Become an Attractive Destination for Renewable Energy Investment?
Myanmar is endowed with abundant renewable energy resources, and its solar potential is the greatest in the Greater Mekong Subregion – yet, this potential remains largely untapped. The country’s 50% electrification rate remains the lowest in ASEAN, and the government plans to electrify the entire country... -
Publication
: Report
Malaysia: How to Scale Up Investment in Renewable Energy
Malaysia set a target of 20% renewables in the energy mix by 2025, an 18% increase from the 2% it had in 2018. One of the planned measures is the development of large-scale solar power. To reach the target, it will be necessary to attract a total of USD 8 billion of renewable energy investment during... -
Publication
: Report
Lao PDR: How to Attract More Investment in Small-Scale Renewable Energy?
Lao PDR adopted the Renewable Energy Development Strategy in 2011 and set a target of 30% small-scale renewables in the energy mix by 2025. The country relies heavily on large hydropower in electricity production and is an attractive investment destination for hydropower. At the same time, Lao PDR has... -
Publication
: Report
Indonesia: How to Boost Investment in Renewable Energy
Indonesia, the largest country in Southeast Asia, has considerable renewable energy potential. However, this potential remains largely underexploited. Fossil fuel subsidies are a major obstacle to the deployment of renewable energy on a large scale. Investment in renewable energy is limited compared... -
Publication
: Report
Cambodia: Five Actions to Improve the Business Climate for Renewable Energy Investment
Cambodia has not attracted significant investment in renewable energy until mid-2020 and, unlike other ASEAN countries, has not set exact renewable energy targets. Despite this, the country is viewed as a model to learn from for other ASEAN countries implementing solar power auctions. In order to keep... -
Publication
: Report
Brunei Darussalam: How to Build an Investment Climate for Renewable Energy?
Brunei Darussalam has yet to make major progress in renewable energy and become an attractive destination for investors. Only 0.05% of Brunei’s electricity came from renewable energy sources, while 99.95% was based on fossil fuels. In 2014, the country set a renewable energy target of 10% in the power... -
News
10 new policy briefs on ASEAN countries and climate
16.06.2020Out now: 10 policy briefs covering each ASEAN country as part of the project ACCEPT. -
News
New meta-review of 204 publications on renewable energy and geopolitics
20.04.2020In their recently published meta-review, Senior Research Fellow Roman Vakulchuk and Research Professor Indra Øverland have systematized and analysed available research in the field.