Fiona Yap

Prof Fiona Yap

Dean, School of Economics

School of Economics

College of Business and Law

My main research interests are in  political economy and public policy, where I focus on explaining or predicting large-scale policy success or political-economy outcomes across East and Southeast Asia. I am one of a select few female scholars who model and test how key players in the region, such as government and citizens, work strategically with one another to achieve large-scale policy success or political outcomes such as growth and development

My work combines deep country knowledge of East and Southeast Asia with game-theory, experiments, statistics and mixed case-studies to develop and test predictions, in a field where work has traditionally been single country-study. This has led to visiting and distinguished positions across a number of universities, including Visiting Professor, Yonsei University (Korea), ANU-Indiana Pan Asia Institute Distinguished Scholar, University of Indiana (Indiana, US), East Asia Instiute (Korea) Fellow, Keeler IntraUniversity Professor, University of Kansas (Kansas, US), and American Young Scholars and Experts (Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Outside of academia, I have worked with the World Bank as a Lead-consultant to develop a general theoretical framework for social protection in Asia and the Pacific; and also led capacity-building workshops with the Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Until April 2022, I was advisory board member of the National Security College, advisory board member of the Tax and Transfer Institute, advisory board member the Korea Institute, elected board member of the Canberra Convention Bureau, and elected ACT councillor for the Institute of Public Administration Australia, 

I am currently co-editor at the European Journal of Development Research, editorial board member for Joural of East Asian Studies, Asian Survey, Korea Observer, and 21stCentury Political Science Review, and advisory board member of the Go8 Economics Advisory Group, Institute for International Trade, and Global Food and Resources Advisory Group. 

Year Citation
2021 Yap, O. F. (2021). Correction to: A New Normal or Business-as-Usual? Lessons for COVID-19 from Financial Crises in East and Southeast Asia.. The European journal of development research, 33(3), 794.
DOI
2021 Yap, O. F. (2021). Local politics for democratic quality and depth: Lessons from South Korea. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 8(1), 5-14.
DOI
2021 Lee, B., Kim, T. W., Suh, J., & Yap, O. F. (2021). Local government performance and democratic consolidation: Explaining ordinance proposal in Busan Metropolitan Council. Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, 8(1), 15-41.
DOI Scopus3 WoS4
2021 Yap, O. F. (2021). A democratization model for East and Southeast Asia: What's game theory got to do with it?. Asian Survey, 61(2), 241-272.
DOI Scopus1
2020 Yap, O. F. (2020). A New Normal or Business-as-Usual? Lessons for COVID-19 from Financial Crises in East and Southeast Asia.. The European journal of development research, 32(5), 1504-1534.
DOI Scopus16 Europe PMC3
2020 Henson, S., Kambhampati, U., Mogues, T., Olsen, W., Prowse, M., Ramos, R., . . . Yap, O. F. (2020). The Development Impacts of COVID-19 at Home and Abroad: Politics and Implications of Government Action. The European Journal of Development Research, 32(5), 1339-1352.
DOI Scopus7
2020 Cha, J., & Yap, O. F. (2020). Correction to: Challenging the East Asian Development Model: Evidence from South Korea (The European Journal of Development Research, (2020), 32, 1, (220-250), 10.1057/s41287-019-00227-1). European Journal of Development Research, 32(3), 781.
DOI
2020 Cha, J., & Yap, O. F. (2020). Challenging the East Asian Development Model: Evidence from South Korea. European Journal of Development Research, 32(1), 220-250.
DOI Scopus2 WoS3
2019 Yap, O. F. (2019). How political trust matters in emergent democracies: Evidence from East and Southeast Asia. Journal of Public Policy, 39(2), 295-328.
DOI Scopus23 WoS19
2018 Yap, O. F. (2018). Politics or the economy? Weak economic performance and political support in East and Southeast Asia. Economic and Political Studies, 6(1), 11-29.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). When do citizens take costly action against government corruption? Evidence from experiments in Australia, Singapore, and the United States. Journal of East Asian Studies, 17(1), 119-136.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). WHEN DO CITIZENS TAKE COSTLY ACTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION? EVIDENCE FROM EXPERIMENTS IN AUSTRALIA, SINGAPORE, AND THE UNITED STATES (vol 17, pg 119, 2017). JOURNAL OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES, 17(2), 255.
DOI
2016 Yap, O. F. (2016). South Korea in 2015: Battling to set the stage for elections. Asian Survey, 56(1), 78-86.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2016 Yap, O. F. (2016). How do South Koreans respond to government corruption? Evidence from experiments. Korea Observer, 47(2), 363-386.
2015 Yap, O. F., & Chu, H. L. (2015). Military support of citizens' challenge in the asian industrialized countries. Journal of East Asian Studies, 15(3), 391-422.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2015 Stockton, H., & Yap, O. F. (2015). STRATEGIC PARTY CHOICES IN EMERGENT DEMOCRACIES: TAIWAN’S 2008 LEGISLATIVE ELECTION. Representation, 51(2), 219-237.
DOI
2015 Yap, O. F. (2015). South Korea in 2014: A tragedy reveals the country's weaknesses. Asian Survey, 55(1), 132-141.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3
2015 Yap, O. F. (2015). Democracy on Trial: Social Movements and Cultural Politics in Postauthoritarian Taiwan. GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, 50(1), 140-163.
2013 Yap, O. F. (2013). When do Citizens Demand Punishment of Corruption?. Australian Journal of Political Science, 48(1), 57-70.
DOI Scopus8 WoS6
2013 Yap, O. F. (2013). Economic Performance and Democratic Support in Asia's Emergent Democracies. Comparative Political Studies, 46(4), 486-512.
DOI Scopus16 WoS10
2013 Yap, O. F. (2013). 'East is east, and west is west'? Reimagining asian exceptionalism and the study of democratization. Government and Opposition, 50(1), 140-163.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2013 Yap, O. F. (2013). Consolidating democracy in Korea: Economy as impetus, corruption as issue. Korea Observer, 44(4), 517-544.
Scopus2 WoS1
2012 Yap, O. F. (2012). A strategic model of economic performance and democratization in south Korea and Taiwan. British Journal of Political Science, 42(1), 213-239.
DOI Scopus18 WoS13
2011 Yap, O. F. (2011). Informal accountability, credible actions, and democratization in Taiwan. Constitutional Political Economy, 22(2), 103-121.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2010 Fiona Yap, O. (2010). Strategic government spending in South Korea and Taiwan: Lessons for emergent democracies. Social Science Quarterly, 91(3), 613-634.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2009 Fiona Yap, O. (2009). Government spending and party fragmentation in South Korea and Taiwan. Korea Observer, 40(4), 639-670.
Scopus1 WoS1
2008 Yap, O. F. (2008). Executive-legislature divide and party volatility in emergent democracies: Lessons for democratic performance from Taiwan. Japanese Journal of Political Science, 9(3), 305-322.
DOI Scopus2
2008 Yap, O. F., & Kim, Y. (2008). Pathologies or progress? Evaluating the effects of divided government and party volatility. Japanese Journal of Political Science, 9(3), 261-268.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2005 Yap, O. F. (2005). Bargaining in less-democratic newly industrialized countries: Model and evidence from South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 17(3), 283-309.
DOI Scopus8 WoS7
2004 Yap, O. F. (2004). Theory and Testing of Governments' Credible Apologies: A Reply to Lowry's 'Comment on Yap's "Non-Electoral Responsiveness Mechanisms"'. British Journal of Political Science, 34(2), 371-375.
DOI
2003 Yap, O. F. (2003). Non-electoral responsiveness mechanisms: Evidence from the Asian less democratic newly industrializing countries. British Journal of Political Science, 33(3), 491-514.
DOI Scopus12 WoS9
2003 Yap, O. F. (2003). Government's credible commitment in economic policy-making: Evidence from Singapore. Policy Sciences, 36(3-4), 237-255.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3

Year Citation
2016 Henson, S., & Yap, F. (2016). The Power of the Chinese Dragon Implications for African Development and Economic Growth. Springer.
2013 Yap, F., & Gibb, R. (2013). Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 13/14. McGraw-Hill Education.
2012 Yap, F. (2012). Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 12/13. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
2011 Yap, F. (2011). Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 11/12. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
2010 Yap, F. (2010). Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 10/11. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
2009 Yap, F. (2009). Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 09/10. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
2005 Yap, O. F. (2005). Citizen Power, Politics, and the 'Asian Miracle' Reassessing the Dynamics.

Year Citation
2019 Yap, O. F. (2019). Term Limits in South Korea: Promises and Perils. In R. Elgie, & A. Baturo (Eds.), The Politics of Presidential Term Limits (pp. 451-471). New York, USA: Oxford University Press, USA.
DOI
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). The Trustworthy Peace. In E. Bjarnegård, & J. Kreutz (Eds.), Debating the East Asian Peace (pp. 176-199). Online: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press.
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). Government’s Credible Accountability and Strategic Policy Capacity: Evidence from the Asian NICs of Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. In X. Wu, M. Ramesh, & M. Howlett (Eds.), Policy Capacity: State and Societal Perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
DOI
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). Domestic Drivers of Proliferation. In M. Wesley (Ed.), Nuclear Asia. Canberra: College of Asia Pacific Paradigm Series.
2016 Yap, O. F., & Henson, S. (2016). Introduction: Can Africa Manage the Power of the Chinese Dragon?. In F. Yap, & S. Henson (Eds.), The Power of the Chinese Dragon (pp. 1-9). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
DOI
2001 Yap, O. F. (2001). Malaysia into the 21st Century. In P. Heenan, & M. Lamontagne (Eds.), Southeast Asia Handbook (pp. 56-66).

Year Citation
2017 Yap, O. F. (2017). Will Constitutional Reform Happen in South Korea. East Asia Forum.
2016 Yap, O. F. (2016). High stakes for presidential hopefuls in South Korean election. East Asia Forum.

International and National 

  • Lead international researcher, National Research Foundation (Korea) 2018-22
    • The Establishment of Korean-Style Integrative Model for Regional Development and Local Politics (NRF-2018S1A3A2075531, @ US $1.8 million)

 

  • Lead international researcher, National Research Foundation (Korea) 2015-2018
    • Progressing National and Local development across Regional provinces in South Korea (NRF 2015S1A3A2047036, @ US$660k)

 

  • Lead advisor, World Bank, Social Protection Systems in Asia and the Pacific, 2017 – 2018 (AUD 700k)

 

  • Indonesia Project Research Network Research Grant, 2017

 

  • Expert-advisor, Politics and policies in South Korea, 2017

    • Background paper for the North Asia Division of the Trade and Market Access Division, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australia

  • Expert-advisor and workshop leader, Knowledge sector initiative KSI Australia-Indonesia, 2015 (@ AUD$730k) 

    • Expert-advisor for Indonesia-Institute for Policy Research Advocacy (Elsam)
    • Expert-advisor for National Secretariat of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Seknas Fitra) 

  • Korea Foundation (Korea) Field Research Fellowship, 2015

     

  • Kaufmann Foundation-Centre for Entrepreneurial Research Award, 2005

     

  • Chiang-Ching Kuo Foundation Award, 2004-5

     

  • Freeman Foundation Faculty Development Grant, 2003 

 

  • George Bush Presidential Library Foundation-Korea Program, 2002-3

 

  • US Dept of Education Faculty Curriculum Award, 2002 

 

  • Chiang-Ching Kuo Foundation, International Scholarly Exchange, 2000-2002

 

  • US Dept of Education-Faculty Development Fund, 1999- 2000

     

Additional competitive internal university research funding (ANU and University of Kansas)

 

Education & Student Experience

  • Led curriculum review and industry-informed consolidation across undergraduate and postgraduate programs to align academic offerings with institutional strategy and future-focused graduate capabilities

     

  • Achieved sustained improvements in student experience and satisfaction, with overall satisfaction exceeding 90% and HDR student satisfaction reaching 100% in 2024

     

  • Oversaw major enhancements to teaching delivery and program coherence during transitions to blended and online learning environments

     

  • Nominated for College of Asia and Pacific Teaching Excellence Award, ANU, 2017

     

  • Nominated for College of Asia and Pacific Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, ANU, 2017

Date Role Board name Institution name Country
2022 - ongoing Board Member Agribusiness Advisory Board Adelaide University Australia
2021 - 2023 Advisory Board Member Indonesia Project Australian National University Australia
2021 - 2022 Board Member National Security College Australian National University Australia
2021 - 2022 Board Member Tax and Transfer Policy Institute Australian National University Australia
2013 - 2022 Board Member Korea Institute Australian National University Australia

Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
2023 - ongoing Go8 Economics Advisory Group Treasury, Commonwealth government Business and professional Australia
2021 - 2022 Institute of Public Administration Australia ACT Councillor Business and professional Australia
2021 - 2022 Canberra Convention Bureau Board of Directors Business and professional Australia

Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
2019 - ongoing Board Member Journal of East Asian Studies University of California, San Diego United States
2015 - ongoing Editor European Journal of Development Research European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes Germany
2013 - ongoing Editor Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies Australian National University Australia
2013 - ongoing Board Member Asian Survey: a monthly review of contemporary Asian affairs University of California, Berkeley United States

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