Xinyuan Dai is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
What is the focus of your current work and/or subject of your current research?
My primary research addresses how international institutions, including the European Union, influence national policies. Much of my current work examines the international institutional order, where Europe plays a significant role. I am interested in the ebb and flow of support from countries – new democracies versus established democracies in Europe – for the liberal international order.
What classes do you teach? What are some of the topics of those classes?
I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in International Relations. The topics of my courses include international cooperation, international treaties, international human rights politics, international environmental policies, and international institutional order.
Do you have any recent awards, honors, or publications that you would like to highlight?
My work with Dr. Alexandros Tokhi at Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) received Best Paper Award from the American Political Science Association Human Rights Section.
What is a book (academic or non-academic, in or outside your field) that you think should be more widely read?
World Order: Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History, by Henry Kissinger.
Is there any additional information or advice you'd like to share?
I enjoy connecting with colleagues across the campus, through the EU Center.