Matai Muon

Matai Muon is a DPhil (International Development) student at the Oxford Department of International Development, with a research focus on South Sudan’s oil economy. He previously completed an MPhil in Development Studies at Oxford, where his studies covered broad subjects like the politics of resources economy, climate change in the Global South, and the anthropology of development, alongside a rich array of methodological and empirical modules. His MPhil research included an extensive examination of political rhetoric around petroleum policymaking in fragile economies utilising the South Sudan case. Matai has over three years of experience in development research, policy, and practice, signalled by similar roles at the Refugee Investment Network, the British Institute in Eastern Africa, the University of Oxford, and Human Rights Watch. Additionally, he is involved in global youth initiatives, serving on the Global Youth Council on Existential Threats and completing a UN Geneva Graduate Study Program fellowship in July. He brings to the DPhil extensive research experience in difficult-to-reach environments and lived insights from fragile economies, as evidenced in his academic and professional work across politically exposed settings in the Greater Horn of Africa. In his free time, he enjoys mentoring younger peers, reading, cooking, and cinema-going.