John Chen studies twentieth-century international and global history, focusing on Cold War-era relations between China and the Arab countries.

 

Prior to entering Columbia, John worked as a research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, focusing on Middle Eastern affairs, U.S. foreign policy, and aspects of political and economic development in the contemporary world. Before moving to New York, he lived for a year and a half in Cairo, where he researched China-Middle East relations with the support of Fulbright grant, completed a full-year fellowship at the American University in Cairo’s Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA), and received additional training in written and simultaneous translation with the support of a Critical Language Enhancement Award.

 

A native of Needham, Massachusetts, John earned his BA from Harvard University (2008), where he specialized in history and Arabic. He has been fortunate to travel extensively in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including a summer 2011 journey from Moscow to Beijing on the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian Railway. He enjoys classical music, soccer, and recreational boxing.