Political Science Faculty

Robert S. Ross

Professor

Biography

Robert S. Ross is Professor of Political Science at Boston College, Associate and Executive Committee member, John King Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University, and Non-Resident Fellow of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. From 2007 to 2016, he was Adjunct Professor, Institute for Defence Studies, Norwegian Defence University College. ProfessorRoss received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

In 1989, Professor Ross was a Guest Scholar at theBrookings Institution in Washington, D.C.听In 1994-1995, he was Fulbright Professor at the Chinese Foreign Affairs College, in 2003 he was Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute of International Strategic Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, and in 2014 he was Visiting Scholar, School of International Studies, Peking University. In 2023, he was Distinguished Lecturer, Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Peking University, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University. In 听2025, he was University Qiushi Visiting Scholar, Renmin University of China. In 2009, he was Visiting Scholar, Institute for Strategy, Royal Danish Defence College.

Professor Ross's research focuses on international security affairs, with a focus on Chinese security policy, East Asian security, and U.S.-China relations.听 His recent publications include 听US-China Foreign Relations: Power Transition and its Implications for Europe and Asia, Strategic Adjustment and the Rise of China: Power and Politics in East Asia; China in the Era of Xi Jinping: Domestic and Foreign Policy Challenges; and Chinese Security Policy: Structure, Power, and Politics.听 His other major works include China鈥檚 Ascent: Power, Security, and the Future of International Politics and Great Wall and Empty Fortress: China鈥檚 Search for Security.

Professor Ross is the author of scholarly articles in World Politics, China Quarterly, International Security, Security Studies, Survival, Journal of Contemporary China, European Journal of International Relations, Naval War College Review, International Politics, Orbis, and Asian Survey. He has contributed to policy debates in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and The National Interest.听 His books and articles have been translated in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and various European countries.

Professor Ross has been the recipient of fellowships from Columbia University, United States Institute of Peace, the Social Science Research Council, and the University of Washington.听 He has received research grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Smith-Richardson Foundation, the Asia Foundation, and the International Research and Exchanges Board.

Professor Ross has testified before the U.S. Congress and the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, and advised U.S. government agencies,听 He serves on the Academic Advisory Group, U.S.-China Working Group, United States Congress. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and he has served as Senior Advisor to the Security Studies Program, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.听 He is a founding member and former board member of the United States Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (USCSCAP) and former co-chair of the Committee's task force on Confidence Strategic Building Measures. He is on the editorial board of scholarly journals, including Security Studies, Journal of Cold War Studies, Journal of Contemporary China, and Asia Policy.

Back To Top