Department of Politics and International Studies

Dr Tat Yan Kong

Key information

Roles
Department of Politics and International Studies Reader in Comparative Politics and Development Studies Centre of Korean Studies Academic Staff, Centre of Korean Studies China Institute Academic Staff, SOAS China Institute London Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Science Steering Committee Member, Co-Director
Department
Department of Politics and International Studies
Qualifications
BA (Newcastle), MPhil, DPhil (Oxon)
Building
Russell Square: College Buildings
Office
206
Email address
yk2@soas.ac.uk
Telephone number
+44 (0) 20 7898 4743
Support hours
Thursday 10:25am-11:25am (in person)
Friday 10:50am-11:50am (online via Teams)

Biography

Tat Yan Kong (BA Newcastle upon Tyne, MPhil and DPhil Oxford) is Reader in Comparative Politics & Development Studies at SOAS, University of London and Co-Director of the London Asia Pacific Centre for Social Science. He is also the Co-Editor of Studies of the Contemporary Asia Pacific, a newly created series from Hong Kong University Press.

His research focuses on comparative political economy (pathways of development, socialist to market transitions, economic and social sustainability of advanced capitalism) with particular reference to East Asia. He is also interested in security and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

He is the author of The Politics of Economic Reform in South Korea: A Fragile Miracle (London and New York: Routledge, 2000).  His other publications include articles in journals such as British Journal of Political Science, Economy & Society, Political Studies, Politics & Society, Review of International Political Economy, New Political Economy, Modern Asian Studies, Government & Opposition and The Pacific Review. He has received research grants from bodies such as the Academy of Korean Studies, British Academy, ESRC, Nuffield Foundation, and Sino-British Fellowship Trust.

Dr Kong is a former Head of the Department of Politics & International Studies at SOAS. He has also given evidence on East Asian affairs to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and provided commentary to media and other outlets. He welcomes PhD applications in the comparative politics, international politics and political economy of East Asia (especially applications with reference to the Korean Peninsula).

PhD Supervision

Name Title
Christian Jean Bachheimer "Unpacking Patterns & Concepts of hedging strategies in Indonesia, Asean with the wider Asia Pacific Powers
Sirada Khemanitthathai Emigration State in Transition: Myanmar and the utilisation of emigration as a foreign policy instrument
Kilhee Kwak The Transformation and Continuation of South Korean Foreign Policy towards Japan 1965-2015
Irem Cihan Muter Cultural Persuasion, Power and Foreign Policy: South Korea and Turkey
Daniel Songjun Yu The Status of Ideology in Post-Cold War China-North Korea Relations

Publications

Contact Tat Yan