Matthew Connelly

Matthew Connelly is a Professor of International and Global History at Columbia University, where he has served since 2016 as co-director of the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy. He is the principal investigator of History Lab, a data science initiative analyzing state secrecy, surveillance, and weapons of mass destruction through declassified documents. Previously, he directed the Hertog Global Strategy Initiative (2009-2013) and held faculty or visiting positions at the University of Michigan, London School of Economics, University of Oslo, University of Sydney, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, and Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro.

Education:

• Ph.D., Yale University (1997)
• B.A., Columbia University (1990)

Connelly’s research focuses on leveraging data science to decode historical patterns of government secrecy, planetary threats, and transnational movements. His work spans the analysis of intelligence failures, population control policies, and geopolitical revolutions. His courses include 'The History of the End of the World' and 'The Future as History.'

Scientific Awards:

• Five prizes for A Diplomatic Revolution
• Economist and Financial Times Book of the Year for Fatal Misconception
• Shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize for The Declassification Engine

Connelly has published in interdisciplinary journals including Nature-Human Behaviour, Comparative Studies in Society and History, and The American Historical Review. He also contributes commentary on international affairs to The Atlantic Monthly and The National Interest.

His History Lab project aims to develop historical research as a data science, using machine learning to reconstruct fragmented archives and enhance government accountability.