Critical Flows Lab
Tracing the flows that sustain, and strain, a changing world
Critical flows are the movements that sustain, and strain, our societies: carbon released by economies, people moving between cities, value passing between sectors, and materials becoming the technologies of the energy transition.
The Critical Flows Lab, led by Dr. Can Cui, Presidential Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at the College of Integrative Studies, Singapore Management University, traces where these flows begin, how they travel through networks, where they accumulate, and how they change and withstand disruption.
Research themes
Carbon emission flows
Measuring, explaining, and projecting emissions where data are scarce, from emerging economies to cities.
Socio-economic flows
Linking environment to the economy and society: critical sectors, household consumption, and migration.
Material & transition flows
Supply chains of clean energy technologies, their critical materials, and pathways to net zero.
Latest news
- Nov 2026Dr. Can Cui chairs a session at INFORMS Annual Meeting 2026
- Sep 2026Dr. Can Cui joins SMU as Presidential Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
- Jul 2026Dr. Can Cui gives a talk at the ISIE SEM Conference, Cambridge, UK
Welcome
We welcome research collaborations with academic, industry, and policy partners, as well as applications for academic internships, research assistant positions, and PhD study.