Nexus

TASA 2025 Reflections by Obumneke Bob Muoneke, PhD Candidate Adelaide University

My doctoral research at Adelaide University comprises two major objectives: 1) the first phase focuses on the moderating role of political ideologies and institutional architecture on the private sector investment and renewable energy nexus across top emerging economies in Africa, Asia and South America, and 2) the second phase focuses on the projected negatives associated with increasing renewable energy share in developed economies. The peculiarity of Emerging Asia and its significance to energy transitions motivated me to submit my abstract in April 2025 to the association. Furthermore, the theoretical mechanism used in my first and second papers originated from sociology, thereby making the TASA 2025 Annual Conference the best academic forum to obtain positive feedback from senior academics and fellow PhD candidates.

My conference experience was multi-faceted due to attendance of several workshops including CV and Resume preparation for academic and industry jobs, presentation sessions with heavy theoretical content and lunch discussions with senior academics from the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland. My highest moment during TASA 2025 was the audience’s level of engagement during Q&A after my presentation. My practical knowledge on the topic in the Emerging Asian case was tested by Indonesian colleagues from the University of Melbourne and the session moderator added more exciting questions. The comments and questions received during my session helped me augment the discussion section of my second manuscript. My participation in TASA 2025 reiterates the acceptance of interdisciplinary research within the Australian Sociological Association and the Environment and Society Thematic Group.



The postgraduate bursary award was instrumental to my participation at the 2025 TASA Annual conference. I am grateful for the financial support and registration fee waiver for my on-site participation at the conference. Prior to the conference, I had exhausted most of my allotted HDR budget on conferences and training across Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane, placing significant financial strain on my ability to attend additional events without external support.