ProfessorAlex Tan

Alex Tan is a Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Research (Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences) at the University of Canterbury. He holds honorary and adjunct appointments as Honorary Professor at the NZ Defence Force Command and Staff College, Associate of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas, USA), and University Chair Professor of Asia-Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University (Taipei, Taiwan). He is the Founder and Professorial Research Fellow of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs (Christchurch, NZ).

Alex has held visiting professorships at the University of Oxford's School of Global and Area Studies, the University of Nottingham, the University of Tuebingen, and several leading universities in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. In 2024, he was recognised as a Tūwhana for Ōtautahi Christchurch for his contributions to the community.

At the University of Canterbury, Alex has twice served as Head of Department (2005–08, 2017–22) and is a recipient of multiple teaching awards, including University Lecturer of the Year (2014), Arts Lecturer of the Year (2014, 2017), Arts Teaching Excellence Award (2015), and several finalist recognitions.

Alex earned his PhD in Political Science from Texas A&M University, an MA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an AB in Economics from Ateneo de Manila University. Before joining UC, he was a tenured Associate Professor at the University of North Texas, a postdoctoral fellow at Southern Methodist University, a banker with HSBC, and a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.

He has represented New Zealand in Track II security and economic dialogues. Alex serves on the editorial boards of prominent international academic journals including Political Behavior, Asian Survey, Political Science, Politics and Governance, Issues and Studies, Journal of Asian Security & International Affairs, Journal of Electoral Studies, Soochow Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Asian Governance.. He previously served on the editorial boards of  American Political Science Review, Electoral Studies, International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Perspectives, and Political Research Quarterly.

Alex hosts the podcast "Views from Down Underer" and is widely published in the fields of parties and elections, political economy, Taiwan and Asian politics, and the international relations of the Asia-Pacific.