Vinod Aggarwal

Vinod Aggarwal is Distinguished Professor and holds the Alann P. Bedford Endowed Chair in Asian Studies at the Travers Department of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley. He also serves as Director of the Berkeley Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Study Center (BASC), Affiliated Professor at the Haas School of Business, and Fellow in the Public Law and Policy Center at Berkeley Law School. Additionally, he is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Business and Politics and has held visiting professorships at numerous institutions worldwide including the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, INSEAD, Yonsei University, and others.

Dr. Aggarwal received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. He speaks five languages and has built an extensive academic career spanning over four decades, beginning at UC Berkeley in 1980 after serving as a Research Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Aggarwal's research focuses on international political economy with particular emphasis on trade policy, comparative regionalism, and the intersection of business and politics. His current work examines comparative regionalism in Europe, North America, and Asia, industrial policy, and the political economy of high-technology economic statecraft. He has pioneered research on nested institutional design and international trade regimes, with recent work shifting toward US-China technological competition, economic statecraft, and cybersecurity policy. His scholarship bridges theoretical frameworks with practical policy implications, making significant contributions to understanding how states and businesses navigate complex global economic environments.

His publications reveal a clear evolution from traditional trade policy studies toward contemporary issues of technology competition and economic security. The most recent articles show increasing focus on US-China strategic competition, digital currency, cybersecurity industrial policy, and the weaponization of economic tools in geopolitical contests, reflecting the changing dynamics of global political economy in the 21st century.

• Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award at Haas School of Business (1997)
• First runner up for Cheit Award for MBA teaching (2003)
• First place for MBA program (2005)
• Elected lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations
• Abe Fellow with the Japan Foundation (2008-2009)

Dr. Aggarwal has consulted extensively with both public and private sectors, working with Fortune 500 companies including Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and Qualcomm, as well as government entities such as the U.S. Department of Commerce, World Trade Organization, OECD, and the World Bank. He has served as Special Adviser to UNCTAD and worked with the APEC Eminent Persons Group. His grant portfolio includes fellowships from the Brookings Institution, Rockefeller Foundation, Council on Foreign Relations, East-West Center, and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He has directed numerous research projects through the Berkeley APEC Study Center, focusing on Asia-Pacific economic integration and trade policy.

As Director of the Berkeley APEC Study Center, Aggarwal leads a multidisciplinary team examining Asia-Pacific economic cooperation. He has been instrumental in shaping the Consortium of APEC Study Centers in the United States, serving as its former Chair. His research groups frequently collaborate with counterparts across the Asia-Pacific region, including institutions in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and China, creating a robust international research network focused on regional economic integration and trade policy.