Kevin Sheives

Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies

Kevin Sheives serves as the director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. He oversees NED’s intellectual engagement on democracy issues, strategic forecasting, and policy planning. Kevin served nearly fifteen years in the U.S. government with the State Department’s China Desk and East Asia and Pacific Affairs bureau. He also served in detailed assignments to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, Department of Defense, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Kevin received a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in International Relations from Baylor University. With long-standing expertise on China, he often served as a summer English teacher in Xinjiang, China while in college. His writings have appeared in War on the Rocks, The Diplomat, Asia Nikkei, the Journal of Democracy, and the International Forum’s platforms.

Follow him on X @KSheives or LinkedIn, or perhaps find him on the baseball diamond and tennis courts with his two children or wife.