Zhihang Ruan

Welcome! I am Zhihang Ruan, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Hunter College, the City University of New York. I received my Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University in the summer of 2023.

My research interests include comparative political economy, international development, labor politics, and land institutions. My regional focus is on China and Vietnam, where I have conducted over 18 months of fieldwork before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. My work has been published in The China Quarterly. I have received awards from the Vietnam Studies Group of the Association of Asian Studies and was selected as a Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG) fellow.

My dissertation, titled “Land Regimes and the Welfare of Migrant Workers: A Comparison of China and Vietnam,” won the Best Dissertation Award from the Class and Inequality Section of the American Political Science Association.

You can find my CV and information about my research and teaching on this website. You may also follow me on X (Twitter) or contact me via email.