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Anna Barford
Fellow

Professor Anna Barford

Official Fellow

Contact
ab423@cam.ac.uk鈦�

Degrees & Awards

  • Ph.D in Geography, University of Sheffield
  • MA in Sociology and Social Research, University of Nottingham
  • BA in Geography, University of Cambridge

Research

Anna’s research is situated at the intersections of the society, technology, economy, the environment and policy. Anna’s current research is a collaboration with computational linguists, focused on the and potential of Language AI to benefit people in low-resource settings. For this Anna is leading research on AI for disaster risk reduction in Nepal, the use of AI by young people in Uganda, and a multi-country . This work is part of the project, hosted by the University’s and led by Professor Anna Korhonen. 

A persistent theme in Anna’s research is work and employment. She has conducted research with diverse actors including policy makers, NGOs, investors and corporations to understand the business case for living wages. Her research on the was discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos. On the circular economy, Anna’s research focuses on waste pickers’ working conditions, leading her to call for greater in circular economy programmes. Anna has also produced research for the International Labour Organization on , , and . 

Anna’s research on youth employment brings together young people’s perspectives, statistical data, and broader policy contexts. Projects within this work stream have addressed how are impacted by and responding to in their ; 鈥痶o understand how during the Delta wave of COVID-19; and in seven African countries. This collaborative research often adopts a approach. 

Anna’s earlier policy research on , with Professor Mia Gray, examined the politics of austerity in British towns and cities. Together they identified to local government in the UK, and identified how the gaps left by a are being partially filled. Other earlier projects include research into with Professors Andy Cliff and Matthew Smallman-Raynor.  

Anna’s鈥疨hD focused on attitudes and discourses about in Kenya, Mexico and the UK, and was supervised by Professors Danny Dorling and Peter Jackson. This was inspired by her research on a world mapping project which produced hundreds of world cartograms depicting international inequalities. The project, led by Professors Danny Dorling and Mark Newman, produced and . 

Anna is Co-Director of the , a consultant to the , and an associate of the鈥痯roject. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the University of Cambridge’s , writes for , and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Selected research projects鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

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Teaching  

Within the Department of Geography of the University of Cambridge, Anna has lectured undergraduate Geographers on courses including Austerity and Affluence; Geographical Research; and Global Urbanism; and supervised many courses. Anna has been Director of Studies for Geography at Homerton, Girton, 杏吧原创 and Christ’s Colleges. She has supervised PhD students on Geographies of Work and Circular Supply Chains.  

Within the wider university, Anna teaches on AI for Development on the MPhil course in Human Inspired Artificial Intelligence. For the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Anna has lectured and supervised dissertation students on the MSt in Sustainability Leadership, as well as teaching Executive Education courses run by CISL.  

Beyond Cambridge, she has given guest lectures on the University of Nottingham’s MA in Public Health and the University of Northampton’s BA in Development, and has taught Geographers at the University of Sheffield.

Authored work

  • Books & edited volumes 

    Barford, A. (ed.) 2023. Being and Becoming: Uncertain Youth Futures. Journal of the British Academy, volume 11, supplementary issue 3, ISSN 2052-7217. 

     

    Dorling, D., Newman, M.E.J. and Barford, A., 2010. The atlas of the real world: mapping the way we live. (2nd edition). 416pp. Also published in Germany and Austria. 

     

    Dorling, D., Newman, M. and Barford, A. 2008. The atlas of the real world: mapping the way we live. (1st edition). London, Thames & Hudson.鈥� Also published in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and the United States.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

     

    Journal articles 

    Occhini, G., Tanaka-Ishii, K., Barford, A., Tikochinski, R., Hu, S., Reichart, R., Zhou, Y., Claus, H., Petti, U., Vuli膰, I. and Debnath, R., 2026. Artificial intelligence is creating a new global linguistic hierarchy. arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.12018. 

     

    Hu, S., Oppong, A., Mogo, E., Collins, C., Occhini, G., Barford, A., & Korhonen, A. 2025. Natural language processing technologies for public health in Africa: scoping review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e68720. DOI:  

     

    Barford, A., Beales, A. and Zorila, M., 2025. An Expert Study of Systemic Influences on Progress Towards Living Wages: A Key to Unlock the Sustainable Development Goals. Business Strategy & Development, vol. 8, issue 1, . 

     

    Barford, A. and Ahmad, S.R., 2024. Responsibility fixes: patching up circular economy value chains. Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society, vol. 17, issue 3, p.591-603. . 

     

    Barford, A., McCarthy, G., Mueller, G., Osborne, H., Pratiwi, A.M., Pradhan, K. and Shrestha, S., 2024. Mortgaged futures: fractured livelihoods and youth debts during COVID-19. Journal of Youth Studies, vol. ahead-of-print, issue ahead-of-print, p.1-20. . 

     

    Hu, S., Oppong, A., Mogo, E., Barford, A., Occhini, G., Collins, C. and Korhonen, A., 2024. Review Protocol: A Scoping Review of Natural Language Processing Technologies for Public Health in Africa. medRxiv, pp.2024-07. 

     

    Barford, A., 2023. Youth futures under construction. Journal of the British Academy, vol. 11, p.3-16. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Ahmad, S.R., 2023. Levers for a corporate transition to a plastics circular economy. Business Strategy and the Environment, vol. 32, issue 4, p.1203-1217. . 

     

    Barford, A., Magimbi, P., Mugeere, A., Nyiraneza, M., Isiko, B. and Mankhwazi, C., 2023. Young people ‘making it work’ in a changing climate. Journal of the British Academy, vol. 11, p.173-197. . 

     

    Mueller, G., Barford, A., Osborne, H., Pradhan, K., Proefke, R., Shrestha, S. and Pratiwi, A.M., 2023. Disaster Diaries: Qualitative Research at a Distance. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 22, p.16094069221147163-. . 

     

    Proefke, R. and Barford, A., 2023. Creating spaces for co-research. Journal of the British Academy, vol. 11, p.19-42. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Gray, M., 2022. The tattered state: Falling through the social safety net. Geoforum, vol. 137, p.115-125. . 

     

    Cieslik, K., Barford, A. and Vira, B., 2022. Young people not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sustainable Development Target 8.6 missed and reset. Journal of Youth Studies, vol. 25, issue 8, p.1126-1147. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2021. Challenging inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the UK. Third World Quarterly, vol. 42, issue 4, p.679-698. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Ahmad, S.R., 2021. A Call for a Socially Restorative Circular Economy: Waste Pickers in the Recycled Plastics Supply Chain. Circular Economy and Sustainability, vol. 1, issue 2, p.761-782. . 

     

    Barford, A., Coombe, R. and Proefke, R., 2021. Against the odds: Young people’s high aspirations and societal contributions amid a decent work shortage. Geoforum, vol. 121, p.162-172. . 

     

    Mugeere, A., Barford, A. and Magimbi, P., 2021. Climate Change and Young People in Uganda: A Literature Review. The Journal of Environment & Development, vol. 30, issue 4, p.344-368. . 

     

    Barford, A., Coombe, R. and Proefke, R., 2020. Youth experiences of the decent work deficit. Geography, vol. 105, issue 2, p.60-68. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2020. Informal work in a circular economy: waste collection, insecurity and COVID19. Proceedings of the IS4CE2020 Conference of the International Society for the Circular Economy. . 

     

    Gray, M. and Barford, A., 2018. The depths of the cuts: the uneven geography of local government austerity. Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society, vol. 11, issue 3, p.541-563. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2017. Emotional responses to world inequality. Emotion, Space and Society, vol. 22, p.25-35. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2016. Discourses supporting socio-economic inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Portuguese Journal of Social Science, vol. 15, issue 3, p.331-347. . 

     

    Smallman-Raynor, M., Cliff, A. and Barford, A., 2015. Geographical Perspectives on Epidemic Transmission of Cholera in Haiti, October 2010 Through March 2013. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, vol. 105, issue 4, p.665-683. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2014. . Geography, vol. 99, issue 2, p.104-107. 

     

    Barford, A. and Pickett, K., 2014. . Solutions Journal, vol. 5, issue 4, p.60-71. 

     

    Barford, A., Dorling, D. and Pickett, K., 2010. Re-evaluating self-evaluation. A commentary on Jen, Jones, and Johnston (68:4, 2009). Social Science and Medicine, vol. 70, issue 4, p.496-497. . 

     

    Barford, A., 2009. . Geography, vol. 94, issue 3, p.215-218. 

     

    Dorling, D. and Barford, A., 2009. The inequality hypothesis: thesis, antithesis, and a synthesis?. Health and Place, vol. 15, issue 4, p.1166-1169. . 

     

    Moraru, M., Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2009. . GeoFocus, vol. 9, p.1-18. 

     

    Barford, A., 2008. Worldmapper: hundreds of world maps for the Internetworld. Mappemonde, vol. 89, issue 1. 

     

    Barford, A., Moraru, M. and Dorling, D., 2008. CARTOGRAFIANDO LA EXTENSIÓN DE LA GLOBALIZACIÓN. GeoFocus. 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2007. The shape of the global causes of death. International Journal of Health Geographics, vol. 6, art. 48, . 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2007. Re-ordering the world. Geography Review, vol. 20, issue 5, p.8-11. 

     

    Dorling, D. and Barford, A., 2007. . Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 85, issue 11, p.890-893. . 

     

    Dorling, D., Barford, A. and Wheeler, B., 2007. Health impacts of an environmental disaster: a polemic. Environmental Research Letters, vol. 2, issue 4, art. 045007, . 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2006. . Teaching Geography, vol. 31, issue 2, p.68-75. 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2006. . National Medical Journal of India, vol. 19, issue 4, p.234-235. 

     

    Barford, A., Dorling, D., Davey Smith, G. and Shaw, M., 2006. Life expectancy: women now on top everywhere. British Medical Journal, vol. 332, issue 7545, p.808-808. . 

     

    Barford, A., Dorling, D., Davey Smith, G. and Shaw, M., 2006. The cause for quiet celebration. BMJ, vol. 332, issue 7549, p.1095-1096. . 

     

    Dorling, D. and Barford, A., 2006. What's wrong with this picture?. New Scientist, vol. 190, issue 2550, p.37-39. 

     

    Dorling, D., Barford, A. and Newman, M., 2006. Worldmapper: the world as you've never seen it before. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, vol. 12, issue 5, p.757-764. . 

     

    Dorling, D. and Barford, A., 2006. Humanising geography. Geography, vol. 91, issue 3, p.187-197. 

     

    Reports 

     

    Barford, A., Malomalo M., Occhini, G., Mugeere, A., Mugabi, N., Gupta, S., Agboeze, N., Mwesigwa, D., Korhonen, A., Manyalo, P., & Nyiraneza, M.. 2026 Work, study and leisure in the age of artificial intelligence: Youth AI Survey 2026. University of Cambridge: Cambridge; Makerere University: Kampala; and Restless Development: Harare.  

     

    Barford, A., Karkee, V., and O’Higgins, N.. 2026. Informal volunteering: Trends and characteristics, United Nations Volunteers and International Labour Organization, Bonn and Geneva. © ILO.   

     

    Barford, A., Brockie, K. and O'Higgins, N., 2024. Volunteering, unpaid care work and gender in lower-income countries. United Nations Volunteers and International Labour Organization, Bonn and Geneva. DOI:  

     

    O'Higgins, N., Karkee, V., Levina, K., Cuaulte Segovia, M. and Barford, A., 2023. ILO Youth Country Briefs (for Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Rwanda). International Labour Organization, Geneva.  

     

    O'Higgins, N., Karkee, V., Levina, K., Cuautle Segovia, M. and Barford, A., 2023. ILO Youth Country Briefs: Cross country review. . 

     

    Barford, A., Gilbert, R., Beales, A., Zorila, M. and Nelson, J., 2022. The case for living wages: How paying living wages improves business performance and tackles poverty. . 

     

    Mueller, G., Shrestha, S., Pradhan, K., Barford, A., Pratiwi, A.M. and Hughson, G., 2022. Youth in a time of crisis: livelihood diaries from Nepal and Indonesia during COVID-19. . 

     

    Shankland, S., Hyson, K. and Barford, A., 2022. Lifting youth participation through financial inclusion. . 

     

    Barford, A., Coutts, A. and Sahai, G., 2021. Youth employment in times of COVID: A global review of COVID-19 policy responses to tackle (un)employment and disadvantage among young people. International Labour Organization: Geneva. . 

     

    Barford, A., Mugeere, A., Proefke, R. and Stocking, B., 2021. Young People and Climate Change. COP 26 Briefing Series of The British Academy, p.1-17. . 

     

    Barford, A., Olwell, R.H., Mugeere, A., Nyiraneza, M., Magimbi, P., Mankhwazi, C. and Isiko, B., 2021. Living in the climate crisis: young people in Uganda. 杏吧原创, Cambridge. . 

     

    Shuckburgh, E., Zenghelis, D., Agarwala, M., Diaz Anadon, L., Howard-Grenville, J., Penasco, C., Seega, N., Whittington, E., Barford, A., Brayne, C., Sirringhaus, H., Friend, R., Fitzgerald, S., Cebon, D., Ainalis, D., Barlow, C., Mackie, E., Schooling, J., Guthrie, P., Ramage, M., Plummer Braeckman, J., Reiner, D., Epple, C., Reynolds, F., Coomes, D., Griffiths, H., Cordonier Segger, M., Phillips, F., Rands, M., Neilsen, A. and Hayes, J., 2020. A Blueprint for a Green Future - Multidisciplinary report on a green recovery from COVID-19. Cambridge Zero Policy Forum.  

     

    Barford, A. and Cieslik, K., 2019. Making a life: a youth employment agenda. Murray-Edwards College, University of Cambridge. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Coombe, R., 2019. Getting by: young people’s working lives. Murray-Edwards College, University of Cambridge. . 

     

    Book chapters 

     

    Isiko, B., Barford, A., Nyiraneza, M., Mugeere, A., and Magimbi, P.. 2026. Manifesto 7: A Two-Way Education for Climate Justice, in Thriving Sustainably on Planet Earth: Inspiring Innovation in Children’s Education, J. Biddulph, E. Shuckburgh, and H. Pearse, Eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 184–197 

     

    Barford, A., 2024. Avoiding the decent work deficits of the circular economy, in Rethinking Economic Transformation for Sustainable and Inclusive Development, Edward Elgar Publishing. p.103-122. . 

     

    O'Higgins, N., Barford, A., Coutts, A., Elsheikhi, A., Pinedo Caro, L. and Brockie, K.. 2023. How NEET are developing and emerging economies? What do we know and what can be done about it?, in Global Employment Policy Review 2023: Macroeconomic policies for recovery and structural transformation, International Labour Office. art. 3. 

     

    Dorling, D., Newman, M.E.J., Allsopp, G., Barford, A., Wheeler, B. and Pritchard, J., 2015. Ecological Footprint, in Atlas of knowledge: anyone can map. p.90-91. 

     

    Barford, A., 2014. Representing, in The SAGE Handbook of Human Geography: Two Volume Set, SAGE Publications. p.273-295. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2011. Inequality, in Southerton, D. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of consumer culture, SAGE Publications, London. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D., 2008. Telling an Old Story with New Maps, in Geographic Visualization: Concepts, Tools and Applications. p.67-107. . 

     

    Barford, A. and Dorling, D.. Mapping Disease Patterns, in Wiley StatsRef: Statistics Reference Online, Wiley. p.1-15. .

Subject
Geography