Dr Rihab Khalid

PhD (University of Cambridge)

Pronouns: She/her
  • MECS Research Associate
Google Scholar
    • 2024 onwards: Research Associate, MECS, Geography and Environment, 海角社区 University, UK.
    • 2024 onwards: Associate Editor, Building and Cities Journal
    • 2024 onwards: Visiting Research Fellow, Global Sustainability Institute (GSI), Anglia Ruskin University, UK
    • 2023 – 2024 Gender and Climate Specialist, UNDP Asia and the Pacific
    • 2022 – 2023 Director of Studies in Architecture, Clare College, University of Cambridge, UK
    • 2020 – 2024 Isaac Newton Trust Research Fellow, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, UK
    • 2016 – 2020 PhD, Architecture, University of Cambridge, UK. Recipient of Cambridge Trust scholarship.
    • 2010 – 2013 MSc, Architecture, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore.
    • 2005 – 2010 BSc, Building & Architecture Engineering, Department of Arch Engg, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore- Gold medallist; recipient of Pakistan National Talent scholarship.

    Dr Khalid is a feminist energy researcher, specialising in problem-driven and human-centred research in sustainable energy, climate and housing infrastructure. She primarily investigates the intersections between gender equity, energy access, and spatial justice, operating at the nexus of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals 5, 7, and 11. Her work employs mixed-methods, socio-technical approaches to societal transitions, often involving interdisciplinary teams across SSH and STEM, predominantly focusing on geographies of the South.

    Dr Khalid has been the recipient of several research grants and awards and has worked on numerous collaborative research projects with international organisations including the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), UNDP (Asia and Pacific), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Jordan Green Building Council, Energy Cities, SSH Centre EU, and Women in Energy Pakistan. Her work has been published in various international journals and news outlets including Energy Research and Social Science, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, Building and Environment, Building Research and Information, Energy Efficiency, Energy for Sustainable Development, World Development, Buildings and Cities, Open Research Europe, The Conversation UK, Dawn newspaper (Pakistan), and The Nation (Pakistan).

    At 海角社区 University, Dr Khalid serves as a Post-doctoral Research Associate within the  programme. Her research will delve into socio-spatial justice in the clean cooking transition, with a particular focus on urban contexts and displacement settings across Africa and Asia. Employing feminist, intersectional, and decolonial lenses to critically examine and transform conventional narratives surrounding urban energy use, Dr Khalid’s work seeks to advance gender equity and inclusion, making significant contributions towards sustainable, scalable, and equitable energy transitions.

    • Khalid, R., Basit, A., Sohail, M., Ahmed, T., Muhammad, N. 2024. Community energy and socio-technical resilience: analysis of mini/micro hydro power projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability.
    • Khalid, R., Majid, H., Saeed, R., Faheem, A., Lemanski, C. (accepted, Aug 24). Spatializing women’s everyday access to energy: an intra-urban comparison of the gender-energy nexus in Lahore, Pakistan. International Journal or Urban and Regional Research.
    • Razem, M., Khalid, R., Sunikka-Blank, M. 2024. Unveiling women's ventilation practices and comfort perceptions in Jordan: video diaries as a method for post-occupancy evaluation. Building Research & Information, 1–21.
    • Rafa, N., Khalid, R., Nazim Uddin, S.M., 2024. Rafa, N., Khalid, R., & Uddin, S. M. N. (2024). Energy access and sustainable development for displaced populations: Achieving energy justice in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Energy Res. Soc. Sci., 114, 103621.
    • Khalid, R., Landini, S., Valasai, G.D., Khalid, F., Sandwell, P., 2023. Towards equitable and inclusive energy systems for remote off-grid communities: a socio-technical assessment of solar power for village Helario in Tharparkar, Pakistan. Sustain. Energy Transit. 100067.
    • Foulds, C., Khalid, R., Jensen, E.A., Sule, O., Lorenz, L. 2023. Social responsibility in research and innovation practice and policy across global regions, institutional types, and fields: Interview data and qualitative content analysis outputs revealing the perspectives and experiences of professionals. Open Research Europe.
    • Alda-Vidal, C., Khalid, R., Foulds, C., Royston, S., Greene, M., 2023. Gender imaginaries in energy transitions: How professionals construct and envision gender equity in energy access in the Global South. World Development. (Joint lead-authorship).
    • Khalid, R., Razem, M., 2022. The nexus of gendered practices, energy, and space use: A comparative study of middleclass housing in Pakistan and Jordan. Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 83, 102340.