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Photograph of Amitav Acharya

Amitav Acharya Distinguished Professor Global Inquiry

Contact
Amitav Acharya
SIS | Global Inquiry
School of International Service 323
Favorite Spot on Campus
John F. Kennedy Speech Plaza
Bio
Amitav Acharya is the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC. Previously he was a Professor at York University, Toronto and the University of Bristol, U.K. He is currently Honorary Professor at Rhodes University, South Africa, and Guest Professor at Nankai University, China. He was the inaugural Boeing Company Chair in International Relations at the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University, Fellow of Harvard’s Asia Center and John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Christensen Fellow at Oxford. His books include Re-imagining International Relations (Cambridge 2022, with Barry Buzan), The Making of Global International Relations (Cambridge 2019: with Barry Buzan); Constructing Global Order (Cambridge 2018); The End of American World Order (Polity 2014, 2018); Why Govern? Rethinking Demand and Progress in Global Governance (editor, Cambridge 2016); The Making of Southeast Asia (Cornell 2013); and Whose Ideas Matter (Cornell 2009). His essays have appeared in International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, Foreign Affairs, Journal of Peace Research, International Affairs, Perspectives on Politics, and World Politics. He has written op-eds for Financial Times, International Herald Tribune (now International New York Times) Washington Post, Times of India, Australian Financial Review, and other newspapers around the world, and appeared on news media such as CNN International, BBC TV and BBC World Service Radio. He is the first non-Western scholar to be elected (for 2014-15) the President of the International Studies Association (ISA), the largest and most influential global network in international studies. He has received three ISA Distinguished Scholar Awards: in 2015 for his "contribution to non-Western IR theory and inclusion” in international studies, in 2018 for his “influence, intellectual works and mentorship” in the field of international organization; and in 2023 for his “extraordinary impact” in globalizing the study of International Relations and “mentorship of emerging scholars”. He is also a recipient of American University’s highest honor: Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award (2020).
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For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Spring 2024

  • SIS-899 Doctoral Dissertation

  • SISU-106 First Year Seminar: Civiliztns/Empires/World Order

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Research Interests

Professional Presentations

Please ask for latest information

 

Selected Publications

  • International Organization   
  • International Security
  • World Politics
  • International Studies Quarterly   
  • Journal of Peace Research 
  • Pacific Affairs 
  • Pacific Review
  • Global Governance
  • Financial Times
  • Foreign Affairs Today
  • Washington Post (Monkey Cage)
  • Washington Quarterly
  • YaleGlobal Online

Selected Publications

  • Constructing Global Order: Agency and Change in World Politics (Cambridge, 2018)
  • The End of American World Order (Polity 2014, 2018, Oxford 2015. Chinese Translation, Shanghai People's Press, 2017)
  •  Why Govern: Rethinking Demand and Progress in Global Governance (edited, Cambridge, 2016)
  • Rethinking Power, Institutions and Ideas in World Politics: Whose IR. Routledge 2014.
  • The Making of Southeast Asia: International Relations of a Region. Cornell. 2013.
  • Non-Western International Relations Theory:  Perspectives On and Beyond Asia. Routledge, 2010. Co-edited  
  • Whose Ideas Matter: Agency and Power in Asian Regionalism. Cornell, 2009.   
  • Constructing a Security Community in Southeast Asia. Routledge, 2001, 2009, 2014.  
  • Crafting Cooperation: Regional International Institutions in Comparative Politics. Cambridge, 2007.  Co-edited. 
  • Reassessing Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific. MIT, 2007.  Co-edited.
  • The Quest for Identity: International Relations of Southeast Asia. Oxford, 2000.  .

 

Media Appearances

His international media appearances have been with CNN International, BBC World Service, CNBC and Channel News Asia (Singapore).

AU Experts

Area of Expertise

US foreign policy, China, Southeast Asia, UN, international security

Additional Information

Amitav Acharya is the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Chair of the ASEAN Studies Center. Previously, he was professor of Global Governance at the University of Bristol, Professor at York University, Toronto, and at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, fellow of the Harvard University Asia Center, and fellow of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. His recent books include Whose Ideas Matter? (Cornell, 2009) ; Beyond Iraq: The Future of World Order (co-edited, World Scientific, 2011); Non-Western International Relations Theory (co-edited, Routledge, 2010); and The Making of Southeast Asia (Cornell, 2011). Acharya has contributed op-eds to foreignaffairs.com, International Herald Tribune, Financial Times, Japan Times, Jakarta Post, Indian Express, and Times of India and scholarly articles to International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, and World Politics. He has been interviewed by CNN International, BBC World Service, CNBC, Channel News Asia, Radio Australia, Al Jazeera TV on current affairs, among other media outlets.

For the Media

To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

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