Contact Information
Professor of International Relations and Business
Director, Korean Studies Institute
Director, Center for International Studies
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Office: VKC 330
Phone: (213) 740-3758
E-mail: kangdc@usc.edu
Links
Curriculum Vitae
Education:
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Political Science, 1995
A.B., Stanford University, International Relations and Anthropology, 1988
Biographical Sketch
David C. Kang is Professor of International Relations and Business at the University of Southern California, with appointments in both the School of International Relations and the Marshall School of Business. He is also Director of USC Korean Studies Institute and Director of the USC Center for International Studies. Previously he was a professor at Dartmouth College’s Government Department and Tuck School of Business (1996-2009).
Kang’s latest book is "East Asia Before the West: Five Centuries of Trade and Tribute" (Columbia University Press, 2010). He is also author of "China Rising: Peace, Power, and Order in East Asia" (Columbia University Press, 2007); "Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines" (Cambridge University Press, 2002), and "Nuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies" (co-authored with Victor Cha) (Columbia University Press, 2003). An article about David Kang and Victor Cha can be found in KoreAm magazine: A Brilliant Rivalry: Victor Cha and David Kang.
Kang has published numerous scholarly articles in journals such as International Organization and International Security, and his co-authored article “Testing Balance of Power Theory in World History” was awarded “Best article, 2007-2009,” by the European Journal of International Relations. Kang has also written opinion pieces in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, as well as writing a monthly column for the Joongang Ilbo in Korean. He received an A.B. with honors from Stanford University and his Ph.D. from Berkeley.
Description of Research
Summary Statement of Research Interests
I am broadly interested in the international relations of Asia. My specific research has covered questions of economic development, security relations in the region, and the historical basis of contemporary relations.
Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
Korean Studies Institute, Director
Center for International Studies, Director
Selected Publications
Arms Races, American Grand Strategy, and Enduring East Asian Stability in the 21st century (Cambridge Univesity Press, forthcoming).
After Unification: Planning for the Long Term in Korea. Co-authored with Leif-Eric Easley and Victor Cha (Columbia University Press, forthcoming).
East Asia Before the West. Columbia University Press, 2010.
China Rising: Peace, Power, and Order in East Asia. Columbia University Press, 2007.
Nuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies. Columbia University Press, 2003. Co-authored with Victor Cha. Translated into Korean, 2007.
Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines. Cambridge University Press, 2002. Translated into Chinese, 2004.
Awards
2015 MacArthur Foundation Grant
Videos
USC KSI Korean Studies Lecture Series
Kang comments on "China's Expanding Global Influence" (USCI | YouTube)
Kang answers questions on the main challenges for East Asia (EAI)
Kang giving a lecture at Cornell speaks on the impact of China's rise on international relations and regional stability (Cornell)