Matthew D. Stephen

Matthew D. Stephen is Professor of Political Science and Chair of International Political Economy at the Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg (HSU). His research examines global governance, shifts in the distribution of power, and the role of rising powers, particularly China, in shaping international order.

Before joining HSU in 2024, he spent more than a decade as a Senior Researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He has also held visiting positions at the University of Oxford, GIGA, the University of Sydney, and Hitotsubashi University.

His work focuses on rising powers, the BRICS countries, international institutions, and China’s role in global governance. He currently leads two DFG-funded research projects on China’s institution-building activities and ideational influence in global governance.