Dr. Alessandro Arduino

Biography

Alessandro Arduino is a recognized expert in Chinese private security and author of the reference book on the subject titled 'China’s Private Army,' which has been translated into Chinese. His latest work, 'Money Mayhem: Mercenaries, Private Military Companies, Drones, Future War' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), predicts the future of warfare dominated by private armies. He is a member of the Advisory Group to the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Companies and serves as an affiliate lecturer at the Lau China Institute at King’s College London. Additionally, he holds a position as a visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Alessandro has a wealth of experience, having previously worked as a China expert for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai. He has served as co-director at the Security Crisis Management International Center within the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and as a principal research fellow at the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. He has been awarded senior fellowships at Johns Hopkins University and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. Fluent in Italian, English, and Mandarin Chinese, he has contributed to various prestigious publications, including Foreign Policy, Jane’s Intelligence, and Nikkei Asia. His expertise in the Belt and Road Initiative has led to collaboration with major international organizations such as the EU, NATO, and the United Nations.

Research Interests