Yuge Wang

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Georgia and expect to receive my Ph.D. in spring 2027. I specialize in comparative politics and political methodology.

My research examines how authoritarian power travels beyond a ruler’s inner circle—down political hierarchies and through governing institutions—to shape who governs, how state organizations act, and the kind of state citizens encounter. China is the substantive center of my work and the case from which I develop and assess broader comparative arguments. I draw on original longitudinal datasets and combine causal inference, computational text analysis, and survey experiments.

I grew up in Hangzhou, an eastern Chinese city best known for West Lake. Before beginning my doctoral studies, I worked for six years at China Construction Bank and then spent seven years as an assistant professor at the Tourism College of Zhejiang, a teaching-focused institution. Those experiences continue to ground my interest in how political priorities become organizational decisions and routines, as well as my commitment to teaching.

Outside academia, I enjoy reading about history, watching movies, hiking, and playing tennis.