Katherine Kjellström Elgin is currently undertaking a Ph.D. in Public Affairs (Security Studies) at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Ms. Elgin’s dissertation examines Chinese strategic partnerships as a path to better understand relationships that are not yet alliances. In particular, her research has focused on Sino-Russian relations in Central Asia. Other research interests and current projects include U.S. grand strategy, civil-military relations, and Swedish foreign policy.

At Princeton University, Katherine served as the director of the Center for International Security Studies’ Strategic Education Initiative. Prior to her Ph.D. studies, Ms. Elgin worked on the Foreign Policy team at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., conducting research on U.S. grand strategy. She has also worked for a private defense research firm. With her academic work, she strives to bring rigorous research to the policy-making environment, shaping policy through informed analysis. Ms. Elgin speaks French, Swedish, and Russian. She was a Visiting Fellow at ISDP September-December 2018.