Kent Deng

Professor Kent Deng is a Professor at the Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research focuses on pre-modern and early modern China, particularly the economic roles of literati, peasantry, and maritime networks. He teaches courses on China's long-term economic development, East Asian economic history, and maritime power dynamics in Asian waters.

His research interests include the developmental deadlock of premodern China, long-term demography, and fiscal state impacts. Notable works analyze state resource allocation in Mao’s China, reform of state-owned enterprises, and re-evaluations of economic theories like the 'Smile Curve'.

Professor Deng has published extensively in top-tier journals such as Emerging Markets Finance and Trade and European Review of Economic History, with a focus on China’s political economy, fiscal systems, and global economic comparisons. His work critiques historical economic data methodologies and explores colonial economic policies in East Asia.

Teaching responsibilities include graduate courses on China's economic growth, East and Southeast Asia's development, and maritime history.