13 Facts About Michel Oksenberg

Michel Charles Oksenberg was an American political scientist and China watcher who moved between academia and policy work.

Michel Oksenberg was born in Antwerp, Belgium, but grew up in the United States, mostly in Florida.

Michel Oksenberg began his career at Stanford University in 1966, moved to Columbia University in 1968, and then to the University of Michigan in 1973, where he was on the faculty for twenty years.

Michel Oksenberg served as president of the East-West Center in Honolulu from 1992 to 1995, and then as senior fellow at the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford until the time of his death.

Michel Oksenberg "trained more students in contemporary Chinese studies during the last 25 years" than any other scholar, and was active in facilitating access for western scholars to China in the post-Mao era.

Michel Oksenberg's work focused on analyzing the political system of China and understanding China's policymaking process.

Michel Oksenberg studied China's behavior with regard to international treaties, and contributed insights on US-China relations.

From 1977 to 1980, Michel Oksenberg took a leave of absence from the University of Michigan to serve as a senior staff member on the National Security Council under the Carter administration, overseeing issues involving China and East Asia.

Michel Oksenberg encouraged the US government to continue Nixon's policy of rapproachment with China.

Michel Oksenberg helped work out an intelligence-sharing arrangement with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping on his visit to the United States in 1979.

Michel Oksenberg negotiated with China on assisting the Afghan resistance movement after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Michel Oksenberg was the brother of American philosopher Amelie Michel Oksenberg and brother-in-law of the American philosopher Richard Rorty.

Michel Oksenberg married the psychologist Lois Elinor Oksenberg in 1963.