International History · Policy

Hello, I’m Xudong Zhu

PhD Candidate in International History at the University of Aberdeen, analyzing how statecraft, grand strategy, and great-power competition shape contemporary governance.

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Academic Journey

MA in American Studies
(Heidelberg University, DE)
LLB in Diplomacy
(Jilin University, CN)

Membership

Royal Historical Society
Association of Chinese Political Studies

Languages

English
Chinese
German

Recent Highlights

2025

Nov.

I’m happy to be part of the ACPS Annual Conference. My sincere thanks to the organizers.

Oct.

Honoured to be elected as a Postgraduate Member of the Royal Historical Society.

Oct.

Excited to be a Teaching Assistant for HI1022: Europe in the Twentieth Century!

Aug.

My essay was recognized with the Jimmy Carter Prize (Runner-up) in the 2025 China Focus Essay Contest.

Research Interests

Applied History & Statecraft

Apply statecraft and grand-strategy frameworks to current geopolitical issues
Compare Realpolitik across cases to assess power, interests, and constraints

Global Security & Governance

Great power competition
International institutions and legal frameworks