Carsten Vala

Carsten Vala serves as Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago, positions he has held since 2008 progressing from Assistant to Associate Professor before attaining full Professorship in 2021. His academic career includes a Fulbright Scholar appointment at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile during Fall 2015, demonstrating international scholarly engagement within Chinese politics and religious studies.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
• M.A. in Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
• B.A. in Asian Studies, Williams College

Professor Vala's research program critically examines Chinese politics through the lens of religion-state dynamics, with particular focus on Protestant communities navigating authoritarian constraints. His work reveals how both official 'patriotic' churches and unregistered congregations develop civil society spaces despite state repression, while his comparative studies on resource extraction in Latin America demonstrate methodological versatility. Recent scholarship incorporates digital media analysis, investigating how Chinese Protestants utilize platforms like Weibo to expand religious discourse within tightly controlled public spheres.

Analysis of Vala's publication trajectory (2007-2016) shows evolving emphasis from recruitment mechanisms in underground churches toward institutional analysis of state-religion corporatism and digital activism. His work consistently employs mixed qualitative methods including archival research, field interviews, and discourse analysis to document religious resilience under authoritarianism, with increasing attention to transnational dimensions of Chinese Christian networks.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Loyola University Chicago Summer and Mid-Career Research Grants
• Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation support
• Harvard-Yenching Institute collaborative fellowship
• UC Berkeley Center for Chinese Studies funding
• Mustard Seed Foundation grants

Professor Vala maintains significant public engagement through media commentary, having provided expert analysis to Voice of America (including Mandarin-language interviews), Al Jazeera, The New York Times, The Economist, and South China Morning Post. His commentary frequently addresses religious freedom violations, church demolitions, and cross-border religious movements, translating academic research into real-time policy discourse. While no formal advising relationships are documented in the provided materials, his grant-supported research has facilitated fieldwork across multiple Chinese provinces and Taiwan.

No dedicated research laboratories or structured academic teams are mentioned in the source materials, though his collaborative publications with scholars like Jianbo Huang and Kevin O’Brien indicate active research partnerships.