Brian Kot

Chun Hey (Brian) Kot obtained an MPhil in International Relations (Distinction) at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. His thesis, awarded the Sara Norton Prize (2024–25), develops the concept of dual-use distinguishability—how easily a state can differentiate between a technology’s military and civilian applications—to explain the dynamics of US-China AI competition, arguing that the degree of state–business relations and civil–military integration shapes foreign threat perception.

Alongside his studies, Brian researched the ethical challenges of defence forces’ battlefield data management as a research assistant at the Oxford Internet Institute, and studied China’s AI capacity-building efforts in the Global South as a fellow at the Oxford China Policy Lab. He also served as Managing Editor of the St Antony’s International Review, overseeing two special issues on Fascism and on A New Cold War?, and co-convened the Oxford Technology & Security Nexus.

Before Oxford, Brian worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on technology’s impact on geopolitics, human rights, and democracy. He graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a BA in Government and Anthropology. Beyond his academic work, he played for the Oxford University Blues football team.