Dr. Ning Leng is an Assistant Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University. Dr. Leng specializes in the political economy of China and Global China, and the institutional effects of authoritarianism. Her work on domestic China includes publications on the motivations, methods, and outcomes of state control over businesspeople, academics, and government officials. Her first book, "Politicizing Business: How Firms Are Made to Serve the Party-State in China," (Cambridge University Press, 2025) reveals how the Chinese state routinely solicits political services from companies, strengthening state-owned enterprises while weakening the private sector. Her work on Global China includes public opinion of China in the Global South, the Chinese government’s view of the Global South as investment destinations, and China’s legal influence in South America.
Dr. Leng received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was a postdoc at Harvard University's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. She is a Wilson China Fellow for the year of 2025-2026.