We would like to extend our warmest welcome to Mr Yan, who will join our Department as an Assistant Professor in January 2009. Mr Yan obtained his Bachelor of Law (International Politics) and Master of Law (International Politics) degrees from Peking University and will receive his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in November 2008. His research interests include comparative political development, authoritarianism, democratization, contentious politics and comparative historical study of reform and revolution. He is recipient of Harvard University’s Douglas Dillon Fellowship (2001), Desmond and Whitney Shum Fellowship (2005) and Graduate Society Dissertation Fellowship (2007), among others. He is also recipient of a Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (2007).