Esther Hio-Tong Castillo is a PhD candidate at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Her research focuses on the political economy of contemporary Chinese cities and its linkages with globalization. She received her MA in Humanities and Social Thought from the Draper Program at New York University in 2010. Her Master's thesis explores the changing spatial politics of Macau, a post-colonial city in southern China. At IPK, she coordinated the Global Café launched by David Ludden and workshops on global and transnational issues. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from Temple University.