Susan Shirk

Susan Shirk is a Research Professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, where she serves as director emeritus of the 21st Century China Center and the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC). She is widely recognized as one of the most influential experts on U.S.-China relations and Chinese politics, with decades of experience studying and engaging with Chinese leadership.

Dr. Shirk earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974, following an M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley (1968) and a B.A. in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College (1967). She also participated in the Critical Languages Program at Princeton University from 1965-66. Her academic journey began with her first visit to China in 1971, establishing a lifelong engagement with Chinese politics and society.

Shirk's research focuses on U.S.-China relations, Chinese domestic politics, economic reform in China, and the intersection of media and political change. Her work consistently examines how China's internal political dynamics shape its foreign policy and international behavior. She has pioneered analysis of how Chinese leaders navigate domestic constraints while pursuing international engagement, with particular attention to the "fragility" of China's ruling system despite its economic success.

Her scholarly output demonstrates a consistent trajectory from early studies of Chinese educational and student politics to comprehensive analyses of economic reform, media transformation, and contemporary leadership dynamics under Xi Jinping. The most recent works focus on the challenges to China's "peaceful rise" strategy and recommendations for sustainable U.S.-China relations.

• 2015 Roger Revelle Medal

Dr. Shirk has significantly influenced policy discussions through her leadership roles, including co-chairing the UC San Diego Forum on U.S.-China Relations and the task force that produced "Course Correction: Toward an Effective and Sustainable China Policy" in 2019. Her government service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs (1997-2000) provided practical experience that informs her academic work.

As director emeritus of the 21st Century China Center, she has fostered collaborative research on contemporary China and helped establish UC San Diego as a leading institution for China studies. Her leadership extends to mentoring scholars and facilitating track II diplomacy between the U.S. and China.