{{Short description|American sinologist (born 1943)}} {{BLP sources|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person | image = Andrew Nathan.jpg | caption = | name = Andrew J. Nathan | native_name = | birth_name = Andrew James Nathan | other_names = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|04|03}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|}} --> | death_place = | death_cause = | education = | alma_mater = Harvard University | occupation = Scholar, writer, professor | years_active = | organization = | known_for = | notable_works = | television = | party = | movement = | spouse = <!-- {{marriage||}} --> | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards = Berlin Prize (2013)<!-- {{Awards|award= |year= |title= }} --> | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | module = {{Infobox Chinese |child = yes |c = 黎安友 |w = Li<sup>2</sup> An<sup>1</sup>-yu<sup>3</sup> |p = Lí Ānyǒu }} }} '''Andrew James Nathan''' ({{lang-zh|s=黎安友|t=|p=Lí Ānyǒu}}; born 3 April 1943) is a professor of political science at Columbia University. He specializes in Chinese politics, foreign policy, human rights and political culture. He has taught at Columbia University since 1971, and currently serves as the chair of the steering committee for the Center for the Study of Human Rights. His previous appointments include as the chair of the Department of Political Science (2003–2006), and chair of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (1991–1995).<ref name=bio>Columbia University, [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/polisci/fac-bios/nathan/faculty.html Faculty Bio: Andrew J. Nathan]</ref>

Nathan also serves as an advisor or board member with Freedom House, Human Rights in China,<ref>Freedom House, [http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?boardmember=30&page=10 'Board of Trustees: Andrew Nathan'] {{webarchive |url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091003041102/http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?boardmember=30&page=10 |date=October 3, 2009 }},</ref> the National Endowment for Democracy and Human Rights Watch Asia<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/faculty/nathan.html Andrew J. Nathan], Columbia University, Weatherhead East Asia Institute.</ref> and is a member of the editorial boards of the ''Journal of Democracy'', ''China Quarterly'', and the ''Journal of Contemporary China'', among others.<ref name=bio/><ref>Journal of Democracy, [http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/about/editorsStaff.html 'Editorial Board'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127230957/http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/about/editorsStaff.html |date=November 27, 2011 }}, accessed 11-19-11.</ref><ref>Cambridge Journals Online, [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayMoreInfo?jid=CQY&type=eb&sessionId=31C8B1DDDB52F9EDB46CB27B580C4056.journals 'The China Quarterly: Editorial Board'], accessed 11-19-11.</ref> He is a participant of the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy convened by Asia Society's Center on US-China Relations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Task Force on U.S.-China Policy |url=https://asiasociety.org/center-us-china-relations/task-force-us-china-policy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108205426/https://asiasociety.org/center-us-china-relations/task-force-us-china-policy |archive-date=January 8, 2024 |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Asia Society |language=en}}</ref>

He was awarded a 2013 Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Musicologist Andrew Hicks awarded Berlin Prize {{!}} Cornell Chronicle |url=https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/05/musicologist-andrew-hicks-awarded-berlin-prize |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=news.cornell.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==Life and career==

Nathan was born in New York City to Paul and Dorothy Nathan. He has a brother Carl F. Nathan, a scientist, and a sister Janet.<ref>"[https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-11006-37919728/andrew-j-nathan-in-1950-united-states-federal-census?tr_id=m_xdfy2ms199_sbb2tv4wuf Andrew J Nathan]," MyHeritage.com.</ref> Nathan attended Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in history, summa cum laude, in 1963; an M.A. in East Asian studies in 1965; and a Ph.D. in political science in 1971.<ref name="columbia-bio">{{cite web |url=https://polisci.columbia.edu/content/andrew-j-nathan |title=Andrew J. Nathan |website=Columbia University Department of Political Science |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref><ref name="weai">{{cite web |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/faculty/nathan.html |title=Andrew J. Nathan |website=Columbia University, Weatherhead East Asia Institute |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref>

Nathan taught at the University of Michigan from 1970 to 1971 before joining Columbia University in 1971, where he has served as Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science. At Columbia, he has held leadership roles including chair of the Department of Political Science (2003–2006), chair of the executive committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (2002–2003), and director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (1991–1995). He also chairs the steering committee of the Center for the Study of Human Rights and the Morningside Institutional Review Board (IRB).<ref name="columbia-bio" />

Outside academia, Nathan has been involved in human rights and policy advisory roles. He is a member and former chair of the board of Human Rights in China, a former chair of the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch, Asia (1995–2000), and a former member of the board of the National Endowment for Democracy.<ref name="freedomhouse">{{cite web |url=https://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?boardmember=30&page=10 |title=Board of Trustees: Andrew Nathan |website=Freedom House |access-date=2026-03-03 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091003041102/http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?boardmember=30&page=10 |archive-date=October 3, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He serves on editorial boards for journals such as the ''Journal of Contemporary China'', ''China Information'', and the ''Journal of Democracy''.<ref name="jod">{{cite web |url=http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/about/editorsStaff.html |title=Editorial Board |website=Journal of Democracy |access-date=2026-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127230957/http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/about/editorsStaff.html |archive-date=November 27, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="cq">{{cite web |url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayMoreInfo?jid=CQY&type=eb&sessionId=31C8B1DDDB52F9EDB46CB27B580C4056.journals |title=The China Quarterly: Editorial Board |website=Cambridge Journals Online |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref> Nathan is the regular Asia book reviewer for ''Foreign Affairs'' magazine, where he has contributed numerous reviews since 2023.<ref name="fa-author">{{cite web |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/authors/andrew-j-nathan |title=Andrew J. Nathan |website=Foreign Affairs |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref> His research has been supported by foundations including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Henry Luce Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, and the Smith Richardson Foundation.<ref name="columbia-bio" />

Nathan's teaching and research interests include Chinese politics and foreign policy, the comparative study of political participation and political culture in Asia, and human rights.<ref name="weai" /> He frequently provides interviews and commentary on China-related topics for media outlets. In December 2025, he appeared on the Taiwanese foreign affairs program ''下班國際線'' by The Storm Media, discussing U.S.-China relations, Taiwan's security, and deterrence strategies.<ref name="weai-interview">{{cite web |url=https://weai.columbia.edu/news/andrew-j-nathan-taiwanese-tv-deterrence-search-peace |title=Andrew J. Nathan on Taiwanese TV: 'Deterrence Is a Search for Peace' |website=Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University |date=2025-12-22 |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref>

In 1978, Nathan married historian Roxane Witke.<ref name="nyt-wedding">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/17/archives/roxane-witke-wed-to-andrew-nathan.html |title=Roxane Witke Wed To Andrew Nathan |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1978-01-17 |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref> The marriage ended in divorce. He is married to Joanne R. Bauer, co-founder of Rights CoLab and an adjunct professor of international affairs at Columbia University.<ref name="columbia-bio" /><ref name="shomer-cct">{{cite journal |last=Shomer |first=Jill C. |title=Andrew J. Nathan |journal=Columbia College Today |date=Winter 2019–2020 |url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/issue/winter19/article/andrew-j-nathan |access-date=2026-03-03}}</ref>

==Publications== ===Books=== * ''A History of the China International Famine Relief Commission.'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: East Asian Research Center, Harvard University; Harvard East Asian Monographs, 1965). * ''Modern China, 1840-1972: An Introduction to Sources and Research Aids'', University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies (Ann Arbor, MI), 1973. * ''Peking Politics, 1918–1923 : Factionalism and the Failure of Constitutionalism.'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, Michigan Studies on China, 1976). Reprinted: Ann Arbor, Mich.: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 1998. {{ISBN|0520027841}}. * ''Chinese Democracy.'' (New York: Knopf, 1985). {{ISBN|039451386X}}. * with David G. Johnson and Evelyn Sakakida Rawski, ed., ''Popular Culture in Late Imperial China.'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, Studies on China, 1985). {{ISBN|0520051203}}. *''Human Rights in Contemporary China'' (1986) *''China's Crisis'' (1990) * with Robert Ross, ''The Great Wall and the Empty Fortress: China's Search for Security'' (1997) *China's Transition (1997) * with Perry Link, ''The Tiananmen Papers'' (2001) * ''Negotiating Culture and Human Rights: Beyond Universalism and Relativism'' (2001) * with Bruce Gilley, ''China's New Rulers: The Secret Files'' (2002, second edition 2003)<ref>Reviews of ''China's New Rulers'': *Michael Sheridan (January 2003), ''The Sunday Times'', [https://www.thetimes.com/article/review-china-chinas-new-rulers-the-secret-files-edited-by-andrew-nathan-and-bruce-gilley-20sp2xf56x3] *Lucian W. Pye (January–February 2003), ''Foreign Affairs'' 82 (1): 176, {{doi|10.2307/20033480}} *Alissa Black (July 2003), ''International Affairs'' 79 (4): 932–933, {{JSTOR|3569622}} *Alfred L. Chan (July 2003), ''The China Journal'' 50: 107–119, {{doi|10.2307/3182248}} *Richard B. Khoe (Summer–Fall 2003), ''SAIS Review'' 23 (2): 239–243, {{doi|10.1353/sais.2003.0041}} *Michael Schoenhals (September 2004), ''The China Quarterly'' 179: 811–812, {{JSTOR|20192382}} *John Sweda (Winter 2004), ''Fletcher Forum of World Affairs'' 28 (1) </ref> *''Constructing Human Rights in the Age of Globalization'' (2003) *''How East Asians View Democracy'' (2008) * with Robert Ross, ''The Great Wall and the Empty Fortress'', second edition (2009) * with Andrew Scobell. ''China's Search for Security.'' (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012). {{ISBN|0231140509}}.

===Articles and chapters=== *{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2645107 |date=April 1993 |title=The Legislative Yuan Elections in Taiwan: Consequences of the Electoral System |author=Andrew J. Nathan |journal=Asian Survey |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=424–38 |doi=10.2307/2645107 |jstor=2645107}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==References== * {{citation|first=Jill C. |last=Shomer|url= https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/issue/winter19/article/andrew-j-nathan |title=Andrew J. Nathan|journal=Columbia College Today |date=Winter 2019–2020}}

==External links== * WorldCat Identity Page [http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-n83-151837 Andrew J. Nathan] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140818052006/http://www.americanacademy.de/home/person/andrew-nathan Andrew J. Nathan at the American Academy Berlin as Axel Springer Fellow]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nathan, Andrew J.}} Category:American political scientists Category:American sinologists Category:East Asian studies scholars Category:Human rights writers Category:Columbia University faculty Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Berlin Prize recipients Category:1943 births Category:Living people