Farhan is a Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute in Macau. Farhan’s work explores how digital technology intersects with various aspects of sustainability, with a particular focus on the future of work.
Farhan is a development practitioner and transdisciplinary researcher. He earned his PhD in Sustainability Management and a Master’s in Development Practice from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Before joining UNU Macau, he worked in project management roles with grassroots nonprofits in Canada, Pakistan, and Kenya, co-developing sustainable solutions to address challenges in quality education, decent employment, sustainability, and reducing the digital divides. His prior policy research and advocacy experience includes working with the United Nations ESCAP and Reshaping Work Foundation, where he contributed to research on ICTs and development and the future of platform work in the age of AI.
Farhan’s recent research examines the complexities of sustaining decent and meaningful livelihoods in the globalized knowledge-work gig economy. His work investigates how digital technology transitions, such as platformization of work and generative AI at work, are reshaping opportunities for knowledge workers in the Global South, exploring trends in skilling and deskilling, the subjective quality of online work opportunities, and workers’ adaptive strategies against technological disruption. Guided by a human-centric approach, his work seeks practical pathways for current and future workers to thrive in an evolving digital economy while addressing the broader livelihood sustainability implications of digitalization through effective policy and programmatic interventions.
Research Interests
- Future of Decent Work in the Age of AI
- AI Governance and Regulatory Frameworks
- Digital Inclusion in the Global South
- Participatory and Mixed-Methods Research