Rate My Professor Wonjae Hwang

Wonjae Hwang is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Michigan State University in 2004, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Rice University from 2004 to 2005. He joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 2012 and to full Professor in 2022. Hwang specializes in international political economy and Korean/Asian politics. His research broadly investigates how globalization shapes domestic politics and international relations, with particular attention to the impacts of bilateral foreign direct investment and trade flows on human rights and intrastate conflict, as well as the role of welfare policies in addressing globalization's challenges. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science.

Hwang is the author of the book South Korea's Changing Foreign Policy: The Impact of Democratization and Globalization (2016). His peer-reviewed publications appear in leading journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, International Studies Quarterly, Asian Survey, and Journal of Contemporary China. Key articles include "Do Korean-Japanese Historical Disputes Generate Rally Effects?" in The Journal of Asian Studies (2018, with Wonbin Cho and Krista Wiegand), "Health Aid for States with Dissimilar Foreign Policy Preferences, a Tool for Peace?" in International Relations of the Asia-Pacific (2023), "Political Protests and the Diversionary Use of Media: Evidence from China" in International Interactions (2022, with Tianjing Liao), and "Economic Integration and Political Cooperation Between Taiwan and China" in Journal of Contemporary China (2017). He has received the Political Science Graduate Student Organization's Professor of the Year award, Professional Development Awards from the University of Tennessee in 2015 ($ amount not specified) and 2017 ($6,584), and other research grants and fellowships. Hwang's scholarship illuminates the linkages between economic globalization and political dynamics, contributing to scholarly discourse on these topics.