Dr. Alessandro Arduino
Affiliate Lecturer, Lau China Institute, King’s College London Associate Fellow (International Security), RUSI
Dr Alessandro Arduino is a foremost expert on Chinese private security and the author of China’s Private Army. He is an Affiliate Lecturer at the Lau China Institute, King’s College London, and an Associate Fellow at RUSI within the International Security research group.
His research focuses on global security, with particular attention to China’s overseas security footprint and the evolution of private military and security actors.
Dr Arduino has held multiple international academic and policy roles, including positions at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the National University of Singapore, and has been a visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute. (
He is a member of the Advisory Group of the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA) and of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law. As an expert on the security implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, he has advised prominent international organisations including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the UN Development Program (UNDP), the European Union, OSCE, and NATO
Qualification
Fluent in Italian, English, and Mandarin Chinese, he regularly contributes to leading international publications and policy debates.
Research Interests
China and global security, Conflict and security studies, Wargaming for Professional Military Education, Private military companies and emerging warfare technologies
Publications
La Guerra è Cambiata (Einaudi 2026, War is changed), Money for Mayhem: Mercenaries, Private Military Companies, Drones, and the Future of War(Bloomsbury, 2023), China Private Army. (Palgrave, 2019). His insights are frequently featured in top global media outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times, The Economist, BBC Worldwide, CNBC Live, and The Washington Post.