Kenneth Benoit is Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Computational Social Science, Singapore Management University. He has previously held positions at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was Director of the Data Science Institute and before that, Head of the Department of Methodology; Professor (Part-time) in the School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University; Professor of Quantitative Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin; and at the Central European University (Budapest).
He received his Ph.D. (1998) from Harvard University, Department of Government with a specialization in applied statistical methods.
His current research uses large language models and advanced machine learning methods for analyzing large amounts of textual data, mainly political texts and social media. Current interests span the analysis of big data, including social media, and methods of text mining. His substantive research in political science focuses on comparative party competition, the European Parliament, electoral systems, and the effects of campaign spending. His other methodological interests include general statistical methods for the social sciences, especially those relating to measurement. Recent large-scale data measurement projects in which he has been involved include estimating policy positions of political parties through crowd-sourced data, expert surveys, manifesto coding, and text analysis.
Contact Details:
School of Social Sciences
10 Canning Rise
Singapore Management University
Singapore 179873
kbenoit@smu.edu.sg
Positions
Singapore Management University, School of Social Sciences. Dean, School of Social Sciences and Professor of Computational Social Science, 2024–present. Lee Kong Chian Professor of Computational Social Science, 2026–2027.
London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Methodology, 2010–2024. Professor of Computational Social Science. Director, Data Science Institute, 2020–2024.
Australian National University, School of Politics and International Relations. Professor, part-time, 2018–2024.
Trinity College Dublin, Department of Political Science. Professor of Quantitative Social Sciences, 2007–2010; Professor (part-time), 2012–present; Associate Professor, 2005–2007; Fellow, 2003–present; Lecturer, 1998–2005. Head of Department of Political Science, 2008–2010.
Central European University, Budapest, Department of Political Science. Visiting Lecturer, 1997–1998.
Education
Ph.D., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. 1998. Department of Government. Supervisors: Gary King, Kenneth Shepsle, Grzegorz Ekiert.
M.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. 1993. Department of Government. Comparative politics with specialization in statistical methodology.
Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, France. 1989–1990. Awarded the Certificat d’Etudes Politiques with Honors. Specialization: contemporary European politics.
B.A., University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. 1986–1991. Summa cum laude. Intensive specialization in political science, with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College.