ASIA POWER WATCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Independent Management Consultant
Akio FUJII - Based in Tokyo, Akio is an independent Management Consultant specialized in M&A, PMI and corporate turnaround. A graduate from Kobe University of Commerce, he has extensive experience in the financial services and gaming industries in Japan and the US, and advises C-level executives on consensus management and disruptive & sustained innovation.
Alexandre BRANS - Alexandre is currently working for a consultancy company in Rome. An international relations graduate from University La Sapienza in Rome, Alexandre took a postgraduate MBA in economic intelligence from the Paris School of Economic Warfare (Ecole de Guerre Economique) in 2022. He has previously completed a postgraduate course in Homeland Security from the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) and a master's degree in Geopolitics and International Security from La Sapienza. Alexandre is the co-author of a book on water geopolitics titled "Potere blu: Geopolitica dell'acqua nel Mediterraneo".
Alfredo TORO HARDY - From 1991 to 2017, Alfredo served as Ambassador of Venezuela to the US, UK, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Ireland and Singapore, as well as Director of the Diplomatic Academy. An author or co-author of 35 books and numerous academic papers on international affairs, he was an Advisor to the Diplomatic Academy of London, Fulbright Scholar and two times Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Scholar. Selected as Simon Bolivar Chair Professor by the Council of Faculties of Cambridge University, he was also Director of the Center for North American Studies and Coordinator of the Institute for Higher Latin-American Studies at the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, as well as a Visiting Professor at the universities of Princeton and Brasilia and an on-line Professor at the University of Barcelona.
Job Titles:
- Founder & CEO of the Asia Pacific Connex
Andre WHEELER - Based in Perth, Western Australia, Andre is the Founder & CEO of the Asia Pacific Connex consultancy. He holds a BSc (Hons) degree from University of Natal and an MBA in supply chain management from the Australian Institute of Business. Currently a PhD candidate on the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on infrastructure and logistics in the ASEAN, he is the author of China's Belt Road Initiative: The Challenge For The Middle Kingdom Through A New Logistics Paradigm, and has published numerous articles on BRI and the changing Eurasian trade paradigm.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and COO of Intelligentsia Risk Advisors
Bipasha BHARDWAJ - Bipasha is the Co-Founder and COO of Intelligentsia Risk Advisors, a strategy consulting firm that aims to facilitate ‘ease of doing business' by managing and mitigating geopolitical, social, operational and security risks. She has more than a decade of experience assisting clients in making informed business decisions by identifying risks and opportunities to ensure business operability. With a vast industry experience across all sectors in India and the subcontinent, she has consulted with her clients at various levels including business assurance, risk and strategy consulting, location and threat assessments and sectoral analyses.
Carmen MARTÍNEZ SAN MILLÁN - Carmen is a PhD candidate and Researcher at the University of Valladolid, Spain, where she is also a Professor in a Masters programme of International Relations and Asian Studies. Her fields of research cover international trade law and core labour standards. She holds degrees in Law and Business Administration from the University of Valladolid. She also holds a Master in International Law and European Law from the University of Granada.
Catherine DELAHAYE - Catherine accompanies Managing Directors, CEOs and Boards in their communication, marketing and business development issues. She has worked in worldwide environments with innovative SMEs as well as international groups in the manufacturing, consumer goods, telecom technologies and consulting industries. She recently founded Canis Conseil, a consulting firm specialized in competitive intelligence to help business leaders steer their peculiar strategic projects.
Chester CABALZA - Chester is the Founder and President of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) and teaches in the graduate school at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Considered as the "father of security anthropology" in Southeast Asia, he also lectures for and advises theses of senior military officers at the National Defense College of the Philippines and the Command and General Staff College. A Fellow of the College of Defense Studies at National Defense University in Beijing, and the US State Department under the stewardship of the University of Delaware, he has published in peer-reviewed journals in the purview of security studies and recently co-authored Perspective on Terrorism in the Philippine Context and won the IFSSO international prize for the Social Science Award. He is regularly interviewed by local and foreign media on the South China Sea, regional terorism, and related international political economy issues.
Job Titles:
- Dean
- Associate Editor of Strategic Vision for Taiwan Security
Dean KARALEKAS - Dean is the Associate Editor of Strategic Vision for Taiwan Security, published by the Taiwan Center for Security Studies. His research interests include military sociology, emergency management, Asia-Pacific security, and nation-building and identity. He holds a MA in Taiwan Studies and a PhD in Asia-Pacific Studies from Taiwan's National Chengchi University.
Fabrizio BOZZATO - Fabrizio is an analyst specializing in international relations and keenly interested in the Indo-Pacific. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University, Taiwan. He earned his MA in International Relations from the University of Tasmania, and has also a Master in Political Science from the University of Milan. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, and a Research Fellow at the CEMAS Center of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". He publishes and lectures on a range of themes, from Blue Economy policies in Insular Pacific to Cross-Strait security dynamics, and is frequently asked to comment for international media, especially on China-Pacific Islands issues and Sino-Vatican dialectics. He also serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (non-resident) of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of Nauru.
Gabor HOLCH - Gabor is a Shanghai-based intercultural leadership consultant, coach, author and speaker with a focus on East-West leadership. He holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and European Studies, an MPhil in Diplomacy and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) degree in English and Mandarin. A former OSCE field mission official, China-based since 2002 and working globally, Gabor has served 100+ clients in 30+ countries. He is a visiting lecturer at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a number of business programmes in the Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Gabriela BERNAL - Gabriela is a Korean affairs analyst based in Seoul. The Founder & Editor of The Peninsula Report, she is currently a PhD candidate at the University of North Korean Studies and works as a freelance writer covering North and South Korean affairs. Her writings have appeared in various outlets such as Nikkei Asia, Asia Times, The Diplomat, RT, The Korea Times and East Asia Forum. She holds two MAs from Sciences Po Paris and King's College London and previously interned at the UN's Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in Bangkok, Thailand.
Giulia Valeria ANDERSON - Based in Italy, Giulia holds an MA in International Comparative Relations from Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. She is a Research Analyst at the Africa Center for Strategic Progress and The Washington Kurdish Institute, and a freelance contributor at Istituto Analisi Relazioni Internazionali (IARI) and Il Caffè Geopolitico, focusing on the Middle East. Giulia has also matured several experiences at the United Nations, specifically at the UNESCO Office in Venice and at an NGO associated with the UN Department of Global Communications and ECOSOC.
Hari SESHASAYEE - Hari is an Advisor at the India office of ProColombia, the Colombian export and investment promotion agency. He focuses, among other things, on increasing Colombian exports of non-traditional products to India. A Global Fellow at the Wilson Center, he is a regular commentator on India - Latin America relations. He holds a Masters in Latin American studies from Stanford University and a Bachelor in Journalism from the University of Mumbai.
Job Titles:
- Head of Research of Japan 's Institute for International Strategy
Hirofumi HATOMI - Hirofumi is the Head of Research of Japan's Institute for International Strategy and Information Analysis (IISIA) Global Intelligence Unit. A former news director at NHK and reporter covering the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, he is the author of several books on domestic affairs and intelligence, including Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, Public Security Police. The three-way battle with the Public Security Intelligence Agenc y (Gentosha). He is assisted by Ms Nao SATO, a Public Policy and Social Research graduate from Tokyo's International Christian University (ICU) specializing in Security and Peace Studies. Ms Sato is the recipient of the ICU's Makoto Saito Academic Award in Peace Studies.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant in Economic Development at KDI School of Public Policy
Ingrid LEIRIA - Based in Sejong, South Korea, Ingrid is a Research Assistant in Economic Development at KDI School of Public Policy and Management, the graduate school of the Korea Development Institute, and a PhD candidate in Applied Microeconomics at Korea University. She holds a Masters degree in Economics from Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos), in Brazil.
Vindu MAI CHOTANI - Vindu is a PhD candidate at Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo. Her dissertation focuses on Japanese Prime Minister Abe's Kantei Diplomacy, while her research interests include the evolving security architecture of the Indo-Pacific. She earned a MSc in International Relations from the University of Bristol, and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Delhi.
Job Titles:
- Chief Analyst at DCA Chine Analyse
Jean-François DUFOUR - Jean-François is Chief Analyst at DCA Chine Analyse, an intelligence consultancy dedicated to monitoring the Chinese industry and its environment. An Editor of the specialized newsletter The China Industrial Monitor, he is also the author of several books on China's economy, including China Corp. 2025 - Dans les coulisses du capitalisme à la chinoise and Made by China - Les secrets d'une conquête industrielle.
Johan NYLANDER - Johan is an award-winning author, public speaker and freelance China and Asia correspondent. His work is published by CNN, Forbes and Sweden's leading business daily Dagens Industri. He is the author of The Epic Split - Why ‘Made in China' is going out of style, as well as Shenzhen Superstars - How China's smartest city is challenging Silicon Valley, which became an Amazon bestseller.
John BRUNI - John is the Founder and CEO of SAGE International and has expertise in defence acquisition, asymmetric warfare and international relations. He has worked as a Senatorial adviser, a military adviser for the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and a defence consultant to a number of Australian blue-chip companies. He also writes for Jane's Intelligence Review (UK) having contributed to Jane's products since 2002. A Non-Resident Fellow at Emirati think tank Trends Research & Advisory, he is a former Army Reservist in the Armoured Corps, and was also a long-time member of the Royal United Services Institute of Australia (1992-2019) and served as National Director between 2015 and 2019. Since 2015, John hosts SAGE International's podcast STRATEGIKON and recently hosted a current affairs program for Radio Adelaide, The Focus - now a SAGE International podcast. He holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales - Australian Defense Force Academy, and a Masters by research in military sociology, Honours and Bachelor of Arts from Flinders University.
John PABON - Based in Melbourne, John is the Founder & Chief Advisor of Fulcrum Strategic Advisors, an Asia risk management consultancy specialized in shifts in geopolitics, sustainability and strategic communication. A 10-year veteran of China sustainability advocacy and stakeholder engagement, he has been honored as one of the world's top 100 voices on modern China and serves on the board of advisors to the US Green Chamber of Commerce and the Australian Chamber of Commerce CSR Committee.
Jorge MALENA - Jorge is Director and Lecturer of the postgraduate courses on Contemporary China and "China in the Global Era" at Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) in Buenos Aires. A member of the Academic Committee of UCA's Centro de Estudios Internacionales (CEI), he chairs the China Working Group at Consejo Argentino de Relaciones Internacionales (CARI). He holds a BSc in Political Science from UCA, a MA in Chinese studies from University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and a PhD in Political Science from UCA. The author of many publications on China's relations with Latin America, he is the recipient of the 2013 "Special Book Award of China" for his book China: The Building of a Big Power.
Manjari BALU - Manjari is the Founder of Econfinity, an online research platform exclusively working on International and Development Economics. An aspiring economist, she graduated from the Symbiosis School of Economics, in Pune. Following graduation, she started working with the Corporate Social Responsibility department of a Swedish company and proceeded to be a research analyst with think tank based out of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Her research interests include labour economics, macroeconomics and international trade.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner of the Law Firm WAT & LAW
Marie-Bénédicte DESVALLON - Founding partner of the law firm WAT & LAW, dedicated to energy, natural resources, biodiversity and the environment, Marie-Bénédicte is qualified as a Solicitor of England & Wales and Avocat at the Paris Bar. She has studied in China, worked in London and Buenos Aires before coming back to Paris, where she counsels development banks and developers both in civil law and common law systems. She is also a board member of A-CAP, an organization of public affairs lawyers.
Job Titles:
- Founder and General Director of GIASP Intelligence & Strategy SL
Marta GARCÍA OUTÓN - Marta is the Founder and General Director of GIASP Intelligence & Strategy SL, a Spanish intelligence & training consultancy. An expert in Strategic Communication, she has carried out several projects for the Spanish Operations Command of the General Staff of the Defense, in the Influence Section (J9). She has also collaborated as an analyst with Intelligence Fusion and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has taught at the Army War College of Spain. She holds a Masters in Intelligence from the International Strategic Studies Foundation and the San Pablo CEU University, as well as a Masters in Security, Crisis and Emergency Management from the Ortega y Gasset Foundation and the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid.
Martin EVERARD - Based in Paris, Martin is enrolled in an MBA program in Strategic & Business Intelligence at the Paris School of Economic Warfare (Ecole de Guerre Economique). He holds a double master's degree in international trade and strategy from IESEG School of Management in France and Lancaster University in England. He is also a member of the association Jeunes IHEDN - Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale, sponsored by the French Ministry of Defence, where he is involved in the Risk and Business Intelligence Committee.
Moises DE SOUZA - Moises chairs the Northern England Policy Centre for the Asia-Pacific (NEPCAP), the University of Central Lancashire's Asia-focused think tank. He is also Researcher in Asia Studies at the International Relations Research Center of the University of São Paulo (NUPRI-GEASIA). An Asia geopolitics scholar and expert in the South China Sea, he holds a PhD in Asia-Pacific studies from Taiwan's National Chengchi University. Prior to his tenure at NEPCAP, he was Vice-Director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taipei.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and Chief Editor of the Kootneeti
Amrita DHILLON - Amrita is the Co-Founder and Chief Editor of The Kootneeti, a New Delhi-based publisher specialized in International Relations and Diplomacy. A renowned scholar with prior experience of working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she holds degrees in international relations and global communication from Annamalai University and the National University of Singapore. She is also an Honorary Analyst and Member of the Board of several European and Latin American think tanks, and takes an active part in initiatives committed to the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow at the Policy Center
Otaviano CANUTO - Based in Washington, D.C, Otaviano is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, a Visiting Public Policy Fellow at ILAS-Columbia, and Principal of the Center for Macroeconomics and Development. He is a former Vice-President and a former Executive Director at the World Bank, a former Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and a former Vice-President at the Inter-American Development Bank. He is also a former Deputy Minister for International Affairs at Brazil's Ministry of Finance and a former professor of economics at University of São Paulo and University of Campinas, Brazil.
Job Titles:
- Associate Researcher and Associate Professor at the Center for International Studies
Patricio GIUSTO - Patricio is an Associate Researcher and Associate Professor at the Center for International Studies (CEI) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA). He is also a Visiting Professor at Zhejiang University. A Coordinator of the Australasia committee and member of the China and US committees at the Council on International Relations of Argentina (CARI), he is also an Executive Director of the Observatory on China-Argentina relations and a foreign policy advisor at the National Senate of Argentina. He is currently a PhD candidate in International Studies at Torcuato Di Tella University.
Ruvislei GONZÁLEZ SÁEZ - Ruvislei is Head of the Asia and Oceania team and Member of the Scientific Council at the Research Center of International Policy, Cuba. A PhD holder in economic sciences from Havana University, he is a professor and advisor on Asian affairs. His areas of interest include Southeast Asia (especially Vietnam), China, India and South Korea. He is also a Member of the National Consulting Group for the insertion of Cuba in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Santiago BUSTELO - Santiago is currently a PhD candidate in International Politics at Fudan University, Shanghai. He holds a Master's Degree in Public Policies, Strategies and Development from the Institute of Economics of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He was a Researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology, Brazil, and has served as Parliamentary Advisor to the National Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Republic. He also worked as a Research Coordinator at the China-Brazil Business Council.
Semiha KARAOĞLU - Semiha is a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholar and research student at Waseda University Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS) under the Research Seminar on History of US-Japanese Relations, International History. Prior to joining the research program, she obtained an MA degree in Asian Studies with a Japan major at Boğaziçi University in 2022 and performed academic work as the Assistant Coordinator at the Asian Studies Center of Boğaziçi University and Project Coordinator at the Japanese Studies Association (JAD) in Istanbul, where she currently volunteers as a Supervisory Board Member. Semiha's professional experience includes her role as the Deputy Regional Manager at the CIS & Middle East Desk of Aktif Bank and as an International Relations Specialist at Atlı Global.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Director of Colombia Risk Analysis
Sergio GUZMÁN - Sergio is the Founder and Director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a political risk consultancy based in Bogotá. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Business at Universidad Externado de Colombia and a Columnist at The Bogota Post. A graduate in history and international affairs from The George Washington University, he holds a degree in international economics and international relations from The Johns Hopkins University - Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Shubhra CHATURVEDI - Shubhra holds a PhD in Diplomacy and Disarmament from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her areas of interest include international security issues, ‘soft' aspects of nuclear learning and dynamics of South Asian politics. Previously, she has worked in research organisations addressing issues including nuclear security perspectives, India-Pakistan dialogue and behavioural studies of nuclear ‘outliers'.
Batchimeg DASHTSEREN - Batchimeg is an independent researcher in geopolitics and sustainable development. She has 15 years of experience in corporate and development banking, working with VTB Bank's Paris branch and Agence Française de Développement, and has taught international public law and international private law at National University of Mongolia. She holds a PhD in International Private Law from State University of Tomsk (Russia), a Masters degree in Business Law from University of Paris - Dauphine, and a Postgraduate degree in Banking Law from UCL - University College London.
Dharish DAVID - Dharish is an Associate Faculty for the University of London at the Singapore Institute of Management - Global Education (SIM-GE), teaching courses relating to political economy. He has written widely on infrastructure development, Asian political economy, economic development, and international relations. He holds a PhD in International Studies from Waseda University and was a PhD scholar in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Simon ROUSSELOT - Simon is currently enrolled in an MBA program in Strategic & Business Intelligence at the Paris School of Economic Warfare (Ecole de Guerre Economique). He holds a PhD in Medieval Islamic History from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) in Paris. Thanks to this, he was able to live in Germany, Turkey and Tunisia and made several long stays in Lebanon and Egypt. He is also an associate member and treasurer of the International Academy of Heraldry.
Job Titles:
- Founder & CEO of the Institute for International Strategy
Takeo HARADA - Takeo is the Founder & CEO of the Institute for International Strategy and Information Analysis, Inc (IISIA), Japan's first private intelligence agency specialized in providing corporate clients with forecasting and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). A former career diplomat at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working as an Assistant Director of the North East Asia Division, dealing with North Korea, he is a graduate in law from the University of Tokyo, and holds a politics degree from Freie Universität Berlin and a law degree from Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. He is the author of Pax Japonica. The Resurrection of Japan.
Vaishali BASU SHARMA - Vaishali is a Researcher on Strategic and Economic Affairs. Currently an Analyst at the Policy Perspectives Foundation (PPF), she has worked as a Consultant with India's National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) for nearly a decade. She holds a History degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women and a Master of Philosophy degree in International Relations and Affairs from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Job Titles:
- Professor of International Relations
Yoichiro SATO - Yoichiro is a Professor of International Relations and Asia-Pacific Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University, Japan. He has also taught at the US Department of Defense's Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. He has published more than ten academic books in international relations, foreign policy, and comparative politics and is a frequent media contributor globally. He holds a BA in Law from Keio University, a MA in International Studies from the University of South Carolina, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.
Zukhra SHARAFUTDINOVA - Zukhra is an Intellectual Property (IP) specialist working with foreign brands in China. An international relations graduate from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, she has also accomplished her LLM in Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. She now focuses on helping foreign businesses enter and operate in the China market.