Yunnan Chen is a PhD Candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a research assistant at the SAIS China Africa Research Initiative (CARI). Her research focuses on the rise of China in global development, focusing on infrastructure finance in Africa. She has worked at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, and Chinadialogue, London. She holds an MA in political science from the University of British Columbia, and a BA in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Oxford.