Deborah Avant

Deborah Avant holds the Sié Chéou-Kang Chair and Distinguished University Professor position at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Her research examines changing patterns of security governance, with emphasis on non-state actors and transnational networks.

Key research themes:

• Civil-military relations in fragile states
• Privatization of security functions
• Pragmatic approaches to global ethics
• Resilience of democratic institutions

Avant's recent work addresses the erosion of democratic norms and strategies for resistance. Her publications increasingly focus on ethical frameworks for engaged scholarship during political crises.

As International Studies Association President (2022-23) and inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global Security Studies, she shapes disciplinary conversations on security governance and research ethics.