Dr. Denis F. Simon
Professor
Penn State School of International Affairs
Professor Denis Simon’s scholarship focuses on international and comparative business strategy, technological innovation, and global management of technology, with special reference to China and the Pacific Rim. He has established deep government, business and academic relationships in China and is well-known for both his scholarly and entrepreneurial accomplishments.
Prior to joining the Penn State School of International Affairs, Professor Simon served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at SUNY’s Levin Graduate Institute of International Relations and Commerce in Manhattan. Previously, he was dean of the Lally School of Management and Technology of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a member of the faculties of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T.
A successful businessman who has provided leadership and development direction to national and international entities, Professor Simon is a past president of the Monitor Group (China) Ltd. in Beijing and the founder and former president of China Consulting Association in Boston. He also has served as managing director of the Business Strategy and Innovation Center for Scient International in Singapore, and as director of the China Strategy Group and general manager for Anderson Consulting in Beijing.
A frequent advisor to global corporations and the U.S. government, Professor Simon is a member of the China Project Team at the Council on Competitiveness; the Advisory Committee on United States Science and Technology Cooperation with China of the National Science Foundation; and the Board of Directors of the United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation. He also has worked closely on several projects with the National Academy of Sciences and on the National Innovation Initiative for the Council on Competitiveness.
His teaching interests include international business strategy and operations, global management of technology, international technology transfer, comparative S&T policy, East Asian government-business relations, and contemporary Chinese political economy.