Calvin Chen

Calvin Chen is the Carol Hoffmann Collins ’63 Professor of International Studies and Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College. He is on leave during spring 2024. His research explores the political economy of East Asia, focusing on Chinese politics, comparative politics, and rural economic development.

• Education: Ph.D., M.A., B.A. from University of California, Berkeley

Chen investigates the political and economic roles of working-class populations in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, emphasizing grassroots initiatives and informal structures. His fieldwork in Zhejiang province examined family-style workplace relationships that fostered productivity and cooperation in rural enterprises.

His publications include a 2008 book analyzing rural industrialization in China and a 2006 comparative study of labor dynamics in post-communist Russia and China. Research themes span labor politics, community development, and political transformations in authoritarian regimes.