Deborah Seligsohn

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics
Deborah Seligsohn

Deborah Seligsohn is a senior associate with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She is currently an associate professor of political science at Villanova University, a Woodrow Wilson Institute China fellow, and an associate at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on Chinese politics; U.S.-China relations; and public health, energy, and environmental politics in China and India. Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in political science and international affairs from the University of California San Diego in 2018, she worked in both the nonprofit and government sectors on public health, science, climate, and the environment. From 2003 to 2007, she served as the environment, science, technology, and health counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and from 2007 to 2012 she served as the Beijing-based principal adviser to the World Resources Institute’s China Energy and Climate Program.

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Assessing China’s New Climate Commitments

Ilaria Mazzocco and Deborah Seligsohn unpack China’s newly announced 2035 climate goals, including emission cuts and renewable energy expansion, and implications for the United States and the rest of the world.

Critical Questions by Ilaria Mazzocco and Deborah Seligsohn — October 2, 2025

Audio Briefs

Assessing China’s New Climate Commitments

An audio version of "⁠Assessing China’s New Climate Commitments⁠," a new critical questions by CSIS's Ilaria Mazzocco and Deborah Seligsohn. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Ilaria Mazzocco and Deborah Seligsohn — October 2, 2025

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

The U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement Is Not Yet Obsolete

An audio version of “⁠The U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement Is Not Yet Obsolete⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS's Deborah Seligsohn and Scott Kennedy. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Deborah Seligsohn and Scott Kennedy — June 9, 2025

Audio Briefs

Top Takeaways from China’s Two Sessions

Experts from the CSIS Trustee Chair weigh in on the 2025 "Two Sessions" legislative meetings in China, including their significance for China’s economy, governance, technology development, and energy and climate goals.

Blog Post by Scott Kennedy, Logan Wright, Ilaria Mazzocco, Deborah Seligsohn, Jeannette Chu, and John L. Holden — March 14, 2025

U.S.-China Scholarly Recoupling: The Path Forward

The Trustee Chair launches a report on U.S.-China Scholarly Recoupling with expert panelists who will provide their perspectives on the state of scholarly ties, ongoing obstacles, and potential solutions to these challenges. 

Event — March 28, 2024

What the Sunnylands Statement Means for U.S.-China Climate Cooperation

The recent Sunnylands statement issued by the United States and China on climate cooperation before Xi and Biden’s meeting in San Francisco injects new life in the countries’ efforts to confront the climate crisis in light of the upcoming climate summit in Dubai.

Critical Questions by Deborah Seligsohn and Ilaria Mazzocco — November 16, 2023