Welcome! I am Sichen Li, currently a Ph.D. candidate in political science at UC San Diego. My research explores the connection between globalization and national security, using a multi-method approach that integrates network analysis, text analysis, case studies, and field interviews.

My dissertation investigates how geopolitical competition reshapes governments' role in the making of trade and investment policies, changing them from advocates of economic openness into active generators of anti-globalization policies. The first part of my dissertation explores why governments are increasingly connecting trade and investment issues with national security. The second part examines how technological competition prevents governments from negotiating bilateral settlements to trade disputes.

I hold an M.A. degree in Political Science from Duke University and a Bachelor of Laws degree in International Politics from China University of Political Science and Law.