Hee Kyoung Chang

Dr. Hee Kyoung Chang is a Lecturer at the Institute of Political Science and the Institute of East Asian Studies (IN-EAST) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, where she has been employed since April 2020. She previously served as a Visiting Scholar and Lecturer at the Institute of Korean Studies at Freie Universität Berlin from 2011 to 2020. Her academic appointments demonstrate a strong commitment to East Asian studies, particularly focusing on Korean politics and international relations.

Dr. Chang earned her PhD in Political Science from Seoul National University in 2014, with her doctoral thesis titled 'International Regime Changes and Norm Dynamics with focus on the TRIPS Agreement's revision,' which was awarded with distinction (usunonmunsang). She also holds an MA (2003) and BA (1999) in Political Science and Education, respectively, from Seoul National University.

Her research focuses primarily on global governance, international regimes, intellectual property rights in international relations, North Korea in IR, and IR theory. Her work demonstrates particular expertise in Korean Peninsula politics, with numerous publications analyzing North Korean politics, South Korean civil society, and regional dynamics. She has developed a unique comparative perspective through her research on German reunification and its implications for Korean Peninsula issues.

Dr. Chang's scholarly output shows a clear evolution from early work on North Korea's foreign policy in the 1990s to contemporary analyses of global governance challenges, civil society responses to international crises, and the geopolitical implications of cultural phenomena like BTS's global influence. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges political science, international relations theory, and area studies.

• PhD with distinction (usunonmunsang) from Seoul National University
• Regular contributor to international media outlets including Wall Street Journal and ISPI Commentary
• Presents at major international conferences worldwide

As an educator, Dr. Chang teaches courses on Understanding North Korean Politics, The Korean Peninsula in IR, Women's Civil Movement, and Academic Korean Writing. She also provides orientation for outbound exchange students to Korea, demonstrating her commitment to academic exchange and student development. Her professional activities extend to conference organization, having served as panel chair for discussions on North Korea's participation in international environmental institutions.