Lieberthal is professor emeritus at the University of Michigan. He joined the UM faculty as Professor of Political Science in 1983, and in 1995 became Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Political Science and William Davidson Professor of Business Administration. He was director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Chinese Studies for 1986 to 1989; in 2014, the University renamed the center as the “Kenneth G. Lieberthal and Richard H. Rogel Center for Chinese Studies.” His publications focused particularly on China’s elite politics, domestic and foreign policy decision making, and political economy and on the evolution of US-China relations. Lieberthal taught Political Science at Swarthmore College from 1972 to 1983, advancing from Instructor to Professor, before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 1983.

For 1998 through 2000 Lieberthal took leave from his academic career to serve President Clinton as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Asia on the U.S. National Security Council.