Biography
CV (126.94 KB)James Dongjin Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. He previously was a 2023-2024 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program.
His research focuses on international security and conflict, with an emphasis on the political consequences of exposure to armed conflict. His first book project shows that childhood exposure to wartime violence increases support for nuclear armament as an adult while decreasing willingness to use military force. Part of this project won the 2024 Patricia Weitsman Award from the International Security Studies Section (ISSS) of the International Studies Association (ISA). His broader research interests include nuclear proliferation, the security effects of diplomatic visits, and the role of leader backgrounds in alliances.
His academic research has been published or is forthcoming in the Journal of Politics, International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy Analysis, Social Science Quarterly, and Presidential Studies Quarterly. He has also written policy commentary for NK News and the East Asia Forum on nuclear deterrence and proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.
He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Texas A&M University in 2023. He received his M.A. in International Relations from Tsinghua University, China, and his B.A. in Political Science and Diplomacy from Yonsei University, South Korea.