Benjamin Hillman

Prof Benjamin Hillman is a Professor in the Department of Policy & Governance at the Australian National University (ANU), affiliated with the Crawford School of Public Policy. He serves as Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World (CIW) and Editor of The China Journal, the top-ranked journal in China Studies. His research focuses on political inclusion, minority rights, and Chinese politics/public policy. He authored/co-edited eight books, including Political and Social Control in China (2024) and Conflict and Protest in Tibet and Xinjiang (2016).

Prof Hillman’s expertise includes Chinese public policy, democracy studies, and comparative government. He previously directed the Policy and Governance Program (2018–2021) and led projects on China’s multiethnic frontiers, Indonesia policy, and rural revitalization. His current research examines authoritarian consolidation in China and grassroots governance under Xi Jinping.

• Awards: Editorship of world-leading The China Journal.
• Grants: Projects funded by ANU, including 'Bringing the Party Back: Village Governance in Xi Jinping's China' (2023–2025).
• Labs/Teams: Leads the Australian Centre on China in the World.