Alicia Chen of Stanford University Wins 2025 Emerging Scholars Policy Prize

Perry World House (PWH) at the University of Pennsylvania and Foreign Affairs magazine are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2025 Emerging Scholars Policy Prize is Alicia Chen of Stanford University. Dr. Chen’s article, “How China Uses Aid to Shape the Global Order,” will be published in Foreign Affairs in the coming months.

“Dr. Chen’s article was impressive in terms of its content, relevance, and connection to her academic research agenda—all of which are critical to this prize,” said PWH Faculty Director Michael C. Horowitz. “The goal of the Emerging Scholars Policy Prize is to help identify and foster the next generation of global affairs experts, and to help these emerging leaders translate their academic work into policy-relevant ideas and analysis.”

“This year’s winning essay is an excellent example of a submission that adheres to both the letter and the spirit of the Emerging Scholars Policy Prize,” said Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor of Foreign Affairs. “Dr. Chen’s article focuses on an important and timely issue, and applies rigorous scholarship to a topic that policymakers will be focused on now and for the foreseeable future. We are delighted to give the readers of Foreign Affairs the chance to hear from her about a topic that will be shaping foreign affairs discussions around the world.”

Since fall 2019, this prize has encouraged scholars to translate their own academic work to be more accessible to policymakers in positions of influence and to advance policy debates on significant issues in global affairs. The prize recognizes outstanding, original essays on any topic related to international issues that draw on original academic research and intend to influence policy debates

“I’m really excited to have my work reach a policy audience and to share empirically driven insights on China’s economic statecraft,” said Dr. Chen. “This opportunity helps me bring research on how China’s rise is reshaping international politics into broader conversations beyond academia.”

The call for the 2026 Emerging Scholars Policy Prize submissions is now open. You can submit your essay here for consideration. The call for essays will close on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.