Xin Nong

Xin Nong

Assistant Professor

Hitotsubashi University

Biography

I am an assistant professor of international relations at Hitotsubashi University. I study the intersection between elites and institutions in conflict settings. My research spans a wide range of contexts, from war and succession institutions in ancient China (771–221 BCE), to rebel fragmentation and political violence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), to negotiations among NBA general managers. Despite this breadth, my work is unified by core theoretical interests in the bargaining theory of war and principal-agent problems. I am especially interested in how (informal) institutions emerge and shape the decision-making of leaders and elites. Methodologically, I use game theory and causal inference with observational data. My work has been published or is forthcoming at International Studies Quarterly, among others.

Interests

  • Political Violence
  • Leaders and War
  • Historical Political Economy
  • Chinese Politics

Education

  • PhD in Government, 2024

    University of Texas at Austin

  • MA International Public Affairs, 2016

    University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • BA in International Relations, 2014

    Peking University

Publications

Working Papers

Teaching

Hitotsubashi University

Game Theory in International Politics, Spring 2024, 2025
Domestic Politics and International Relations, Fall 2024, 2025

UT-Austin

Statistical Analysis in Political Science, Spring 2023

Contact