Fiona S. Cunningham

 Fiona S. Cunningham is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also a Faculty Fellow at Perry World House and affiliated with the Center for the Study of Contemporary China and the Christopher H. Browne Center for International Politics.

Her research focuses on technology and conflict, particularly how China uses space weapons, cyber attacks, and conventional missiles as substitutes for nuclear threats. Fiona’s work has been published in International Security, Security Studies, and other journals, and featured in the New York Times and The Economist. Her research has received support from the Stanton Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, and the China Confucius Studies Program. She has held fellowships at institutions including Renmin University of China, the Belfer Center at Harvard, and the Carnegie Endowment. Fiona earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT in 2018 and holds a B.A. from the University of New South Wales and a B.Laws from the University of Sydney. She was previously an Assistant Professor at George Washington University.

Bio recorded September 6, 2024