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Dirk Schmidt is a Professor at the University of Trier, where he serves as Academic Director of the Chair of Politics and Economics of China within the Faculty of Political Science. He has been employed at the University of Trier since 2004 and represented the Chair from 2013 to 2018. His academic work focuses on Chinese political and economic systems with particular expertise in foreign policy, political economy, and China-Taiwan relations.
Dr. Schmidt studied Political Science, Modern History and English at the Universities of Saarbrücken and Newcastle upon Tyne from 1989 to 1995, and learned Chinese in Taiwan. He completed his doctorate at the Center for Politics of China and East Asia under Jürgen Domes on a thesis concerning Chinese foreign policy.
His primary research interests center on the Foreign and Security Policy of China, Political Economy of China, and China-Taiwan Relations. Schmidt examines how China navigates international relations while maintaining its unique political-economic model, with particular attention to China's approach to global governance, trade conflicts, and regional security dynamics. His work often analyzes the tension between China's stated commitment to 'peaceful development' and its increasingly assertive foreign policy positions.
Analysis of Schmidt's recent publications reveals consistent focus on China's evolving role in global affairs, with particular emphasis on EU-China relations, China's response to international trade frameworks, and Beijing's strategic approach to Taiwan. His research demonstrates interdisciplinary methodology combining political science, international relations theory, and economic analysis to understand China's distinctive approach to global engagement.
Professionally, Schmidt is a member of the Social Science China Research Working Group of the German Association for Asian Studies and serves as a reviewer for the DFG (German Research Foundation) and DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). He is currently working on research projects including 'What is a non-market economy? The case of China' (2019) and coordinating the publication project 'The People's Republic of China - Partner and Rival' (2020/2021).
As an educator, Schmidt teaches courses including Introduction to Political Economy, Modern Autocracy Studies, The Political System of Taiwan, and The Sino-American Trade and Technology Conflict since 2017, reflecting his expertise in both theoretical frameworks and contemporary geopolitical issues related to China.
