Areas of Expertise
- China’s science and technology policy
- German/European and US policy on China
- China’s role in the transatlantic relationship
- Domestic and foreign policies in China
- The party-state in China
- De-risking; tech competition and research collaborations with China
Short Bio
Michael Laha joined DGAP in November 2024 as a senior research fellow in its Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology where he covers technology policy in China. He is also an appointed member of the German Bundestag’s China Commission, which focuses on Germany’s de-risking strategy. Previously, he worked as a consultant for Sinolytics, a European research-based consultancy entirely focused on China.
From November 2025 to January 2026, Laha was seconded to the Federal Foreign Office as an external advisor under the Humboldt Placement Scheme. As a Chancellor’s Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2021–2022), he worked at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). Before that, he worked at the Asia Society Center on US-China Relations where he most recently was a senior program officer. In this role, he coordinated high-level working groups on China as well as transatlantic dialogue platforms.
Laha conducts research on China’s science and technology policy, the role of China in the transatlantic relationship, and China’s governance model. His writing has appeared in English-language media such as Nikkei Asia and The Wire China as well as in German media including Tagesspiegel and Handelsblatt. He holds an MA in East Asian languages and cultures from Columbia University and a BS in chemistry from Tufts University.
Languages
English, German, Chinese
[Last updated: March 2026]
