Short Bio

I am the Ford Foundation Professor of Modern China Studies in the Department of Government at Harvard University. My research explores state-building, authoritarian politics, and the historical roots of political institutions in China and beyond.

I am the author of Tying the Autocrat’s Hands (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and The Rise and Fall of Imperial China (Princeton University Press, 2022). My work has received several awards, including the 2023 Lubbert Best Book Award in Comparative Politics from the American Political Science Association (for The Rise and Fall of Imperial China), the James Caporaso Best Paper Award from Comparative Political Studies (2024, for “The Reach of the State”), and an Honorable Mention for the Political Ties Award from the APSA Political Networks Section (2023, for “Blood Is Thicker Than Water”).

My articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Annual Review of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, and China Quarterly. I received my B.A. from Peking University and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

In 2025, I was named a Harvard College Professor in recognition of my contributions to undergraduate teaching.

This is my CV.

You can reach me at yuhuawang@fas.harvard.edu.