Department of Government and Justice Studies

Dr. Hye-Sung Kim is an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University. She earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Rochester in 2014. Her areas of teaching and research focus on political behavior and the political economy of development in Africa and Northeast Asia in the areas of ethnic politics, poverty eradication, and conflict processes. Prior to joining App State in 2022, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Winthrop University. Her work has been published in Electoral Studies, Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, Africa Spectrum, the Extractive Industry and Society, and Habitat International among others, and her book manuscript titled Political Power and the Logic of Co-Ethnic Marginalization in Africa is forthcoming at Routledge.

Areas of Expertise & Interest:

• Ethnic Politics
• Voter and Elite Behavior
• African Politics
• Korean Politics
• Public Opinion and Experimental Research

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science (2014), University of Rochester, 2014 Fields: Comparative Politics, Political Methodology, International Relations
• M.A in Political Science (2012), University of Rochester
• M.A.in Law and Diplomacy. (2009), Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
• M.A. in Economics (2006) Seoul National University
• B.A. in Economics (2002) University of Calgary

Courses Taught:

• Undergraduate Courses:
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Relations
  • African Politics
  • International Political Economy
  • Research Methods
  • Independent Study
• Graduate Courses:
  • Readings and Research in Comparative Politics
  • Research Methods and Data Analysis
  • Policy Analysis