Margaret M. Pearson

Margaret M. Pearson is the Dr. Horace E. and Wilma V. Harrison Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she has been since 1996. She also serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on Chinese domestic politics, foreign policy, and international political economy, with particular attention to state-business relations, environmental governance, and global institutional engagement.

Pearson holds a PhD in Political Science from Yale University and a BA from Smith College. She previously served as an Associate Professor with tenure at Dartmouth College before joining UMD. She has held a Fulbright Research Fellowship at Beijing University and has authored/co-authored influential books including China's Strategic Multilateralism, China's New Business Elite, and Joint Ventures in the People's Republic of China.

Her work examines how China navigates global governance frameworks, the dynamics of central-local bureaucratic interactions, and the socio-political implications of economic reforms. Recent research explores the international backlash to China's economic influence and the evolving security dilemmas arising from interdependence. Her scholarship bridges comparative politics and international relations, offering critical insights into China's role in global governance structures.

Pearson has received prestigious awards including the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher recognition and maintains active research collaborations across academic institutions. Her advisory roles and policy engagement reflect her dual commitment to rigorous scholarship and real-world impact in understanding China's domestic and international trajectory.