Welcome! I am Sichen Li, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University. My research explores the challenges that geopolitics poses to globalization, using a multi-method approach that integrates network analysis, text analysis, survey experiments, case studies, and field interviews.

My dissertation investigates how technological rivalry between major economies reshapes the role of governments in trade and investment policymaking, transforming them from advocates of economic openness into active drivers of anti-globalization policies. The first part of my dissertation explores why governments are increasingly linking trade and investment issues with national security. The second part examines how technological competition hinders governments from bilaterally resolving trade disputes.

I earned my Ph.D. degree in Political Science from UC San Diego in 2024. 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.