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Dr Xuechen Chen

BA (Beijing), MSc (LSE), PhD (KCL)

Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations

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About Dr Xuechen Chen

Dr Xuechen Chen is Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations at the New College of
the Humanities. She is leader of the course “Comparative Politics”. She also convenes the courses
“the European Union in the World” and “International Organisations: Global and Local”. Prior to
joining NCH, Xuechen was a Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Studies Department at
SOAS, University of London. Xuechen completed a PhD in European Studies at King’s College
London in 2020 and holds an MSc in European Studies: Ideas and Identities from the London
School of Economics. She has held research positions at the London Pacific Centre of Social
Science at King’s College London, the European Institute for Asian Studies, and at the EU Centre
in Singapore.

Qualifications

BA in French Studies, Beijing Language and Culture University (2013)
MSc in European Studies: Ideas and Identities, London School of Economics (2014)
PhD in European Studies, King’s College London (2020)

Professional Affiliations

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2020)
Member, Chatham House

Email: xuechen.chen@nchlondon.ac.uk

Dr Xuechen Chen's Research

Xuechen’s research lies at the intersection of International Relations and European Studies. Her
doctoral project explored the EU’s norm and policy diffusion in relation to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with empirical case studies focusing on interregional trade
and security cooperation. She is also interested in EU-East Asia relations, East Asian international
relations and political economy, as well as emerging powers’ role in global governance.

Selected Publications

Book Project:

  • Understanding the EU’s Norm and Policy Diffusion in ASEAN: Normative or Normal Power Europe? (Under contract, Routledge Book Series “Globalisation, Europe and Multilateralism”)

Peer-reviewed Article:

  • Chen, X. (2018) “The Role of ASEAN’s Identities in Reshaping the EU-ASEAN
    Relations”, Contemporary Southeast Asia Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 222–46.
  • Chen, X. and Gao, X. (2020) “Exploring the dynamic nexus between the EU’s trade and
    foreign policy towards Asia-Pacific”, in Weiß, W. edited Global Politics and EU Free
    Trade Policy. Special Issue to the European Yearbook of International Economic Law,
    Springer.
  • Chen, X. and Gao, X. (2020) “Bridging the Capability-Expectations Gap? An Analysis of
    the New Dynamics in the EU’s Security Strategy towards Asia”, Asia Pacific Journal of EU
    Studies, Special Issue entitled “European Union and Asia-Pacific political dialogue”.
  • Yang, Y. and Chen, X (2020). “Globalism or nationalism? The paradox of Chinese official
    discourse in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak”, Journal of Chinese Political Science.
  • Gao, X & Chen, X. (forthcoming) “Understanding the EU’s changing trade policy strategy towards Asia-Pacific from a role-theory perspective”, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies.

Book Review:

Policy Report and Op-Ed:

  • Pacheco Pardo, R., Avedano-Pabon, M., Chen, X. et al. “Preventing the Next Pandemic:
    Lessons from East Asia”, King’s College London (May 2020)
  • Pacheco Pardo, R., Avedano-Pabon, M., Chen, X. et al. “Learning and Remembering: How East Asia Prepared for Covid-19 over the Years”, published at Global Policy (May 2020).
  • Chen, X. (2019) “The EU’s Pivot to Asia and EU-China Relations”, published at Instituto Per
    Gli Studi Di Politica Internationale (ISPI) (Sep 2019)
  • Spanakos, A. and Chen, X. (2017) “BRICS: Post Xiamen Summit”, published at East Asian
    Institute NUS Background Brief (Nov 2017)

Research in progress:

“An Analysis of EU diffusion of security norm-cluster in ASEAN” (under review)

“Collective Securitization of China in the European Union”, with X Gao (under review)

“The EU’s Digital Connectivity Strategy and East Asia”, (selected as a chapter of an edited volume on “The EU and a Globalized World”, led by Professor Thomas Hoerber, ESSCA)

“the EU’s role in the multipolar global cybersecurity governance”, with X. Gao (under review)

“The EU’s and China’s digital connectivity strategies: on power and regulatory capture”, with X. Gao, (selected as a chapter of an edited volume “The EU as A Good Global Actor”, led by Professor Elaine Fahey, City, University of London)

“COVID-19 and Resilience in Supply Chains: A Comparative Study of the EU’s and ASEAN’s responses to supply chain disruption”, with A Pennisi di Floristella.

Selected recent presentations:

Understanding the EU as a Good Global Governance Actor Workshop, City University of London, “the EU’s and China’s Digital Connectivity: on power and regulatory capture”, panelist (July 2021)
ESSCA Workshop on “EU and a globalized world”, panelist (May 2021)

ECPR General Conference 2020, ‘Disentangling the EU’s Actorness in Cybersecurity Governance: A Case Study on EU Cybersecurity Strategies Towards Asia’, paper presenter (Aug 2020)

Contemporary Issues in Transatlantic Relations, ‘EU-China cooperation against the backdrop of
US-China tech war’, City University of London, Panelist (Jul 2020)

Closing the Gap Conference on the EU’s Digital Diplomacy, ‘Bridging the Gap: How Can the EU’s Digital Connectivity Strategy Fit into Asia’s Digital Landscape’, Panelist, Brussels (Jul 2020)

EUTIP Doctoral Seminar on Methods and Methodology, ‘Exploring the Nexus Between EU Trade and Foreign Policy Towards Asia-Pacific’, City University, London (Sep 2018)

EUTIP Conference, ‘The EU’s trade and foreign policy towards Asia-Pacific’, Brussels (Dec 2018)

IPSA Annual Convention, ‘The EU’s connectivity strategy and its geopolitical implications on the
BRI, Brisbane, (Jul 2018)

LASA Annual Conference, ‘Status, Voice, and Leadership for New Claimants: ASEAN, the
BRICS, and Brazil’, Barcelona, (Jul 2018)

The Belt and Road Initiative: EU-China Logistics and Supply Chain, ‘An analysis of the perception gap between the EU’s connectivity agenda and China’s BRI’, Brugges, (Nov 2017)

Beijing Forum 2017, ‘The adaptation of China’s regional policy and the projection of normative
power’ Beijing, (Nov 2017)

European Institute for Asian Studies Briefing Seminar, ‘the EU and ASEAN at 40: Towards
Normative Convergence?’, invited as panelist, Brussels (Apr 2017)

European Union Institute for Security Studies, ‘Chinese Futures: Horizon 2025 – 3rd Task Force
Meeting: China as Global Actor’ invited as panelist, Brussels, (Mar 2017)

Dr Xuechen Chen's Teaching

At NCH, Xuechen has taught the following courses:

International Organisations: Global and Local

The European Union in the World

Comparative Politics

European Comparative Political Systems (NUin)