Nile Kenya

David M. Lampton is a prominent scholar of Chinese politics and U.S.-China relations, currently serving as George and Sadie Hyman Professor and Director of China Studies Emeritus at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Born in 1946, he earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Stanford University and was among the first American scholars to visit China after its opening in the 1970s.

Lampton has held significant roles, including president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations and founding director of the Chinese Studies Program at The Nixon Center. He is the author of influential works such as The Three Faces of Chinese Power (2008) and Following the Leader: Ruling China, from Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping (2014; second edition 2020). His contributions have earned him recognition, including the inaugural Scalapino Prize for understanding Asia’s changes.

An active participant in public discourse on U.S.-China relations, Lampton is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been recognized as one of the leading experts on China. His work continues to shape discussions on international relations and policy regarding China.