Luke Richard Michael Dixon

 Research Fellow, UK

Luke Richard Michael Dixon holds the position of Managing Director at First Education Group Ltd., situated in Sheffield, UK, with a branch office in Guangzhou, China.

His professional expertise lies in education consultancy, focusing primarily on assisting international students, especially from China, in securing admissions to universities in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and beyond. Luke is an accomplished IELTS tutor, having guided hundreds of students worldwide to achieve their desired scores. His professional background includes significant stints in China as both an education consultant and an IELTS tutor, in addition to business ventures in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Luke is poised to commence his PhD studies this September, with a research focus on evaluating Chinese influence on urban development in democratic vs. non-democratic ECOWAS states through BRI initiatives. Luke is interested in all aspects of African economic development and Africa-China relations.

He has recently authored two academic journal articles: “Chinese Investment and African Urbanization: A Comparative Study of Democratic and Non-Democratic ECOWAS States” and “The Impact of Chinese Special Economic Zones on Manufacturing and Employment in West Africa.”.Holding an undergraduate degree in business and financial management and a postgraduate degree in education, Luke is currently conducting a thorough study on the effects of the BRI initiative in Burkina Faso. Luke aspires to transition into academia as a university lecturer upon completion of his PhD.

He expresses a keen interest in collaborating with fellow researchers who share similar academic pursuits, aiming to deepen the understanding of China’s role in African urban and economic development.