As Fellow for Chinese Society and Political Economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, G.A. Donovan leads research programs that foster a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and intellectual trends shaping China’s future.

His own work focuses on contemporary religion and spirituality, demographic change, public health, education, and the arts and cinema. He also has extensive experience as a writer specializing in international affairs, financial markets, corporate governance, and sustainability.

G.A. was Senior Researcher at Harvard Business School’s Asia-Pacific Research Center from 2008 to 2014 and traveled throughout China to conduct field research as co-author of more than two dozen published case studies. His work has also appeared in the China Economic Quarterly, Far Eastern Economic Review, South China Morning Post, and other publications.

A former State Department foreign service officer, G.A. served on diplomatic assignments in Beijing, Chengdu, and Kathmandu. He later rejoined the public sector and spent nine years as an executive at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. He earned a BA in English from Columbia and master’s degrees from St. John’s College and Harvard Divinity School.