Professional Bio

Songtao Duan is a PhD student in International Relations and Comparative Politics. His research broadly focuses on the political economy of development, with a special interest in how foreign interventions – such as foreign aid and investment – shape conflict dynamics and development outcomes. His work has been generously supported by the Miller-Lavigne Fellowship, the Paterno Fellowship, and the Fox Graduate School. Prior to joining Penn State, Songtao worked as a consultant and research assistant at the Center for Global Development (CGD) in Washington, D.C. In his free time, Songtao enjoys tennis, rock climbing, and other outdoor adventures.