Born, raised, and educated in Malawi, James joined the world of social research in 1996. Since that time, he has been involved in over of seventy research and development-related projects with several local and international organizations, including the University of Malawi's Center for Social Research, Center for Educational Research and Training, Malawi College of Medicine, the National Statistical Office, the University of Pennsylvania, and the World Bank. On many of these projects, James has been lead field researcher, and at any one time, could supervise over 60 field staff. He is also a founding member of the Invest in Knowledge Initiative, nonprofit organization