PhD Student Profiles

EDNA CAROLINE PATTISINA

Education:

MSc Strategic Studies (Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University )

BSc Engineering Physics (Bandung Institute of Technology)

Thesis Topic:Indonesia’s Archipelagic Defence : Strategic Behaviour 2004 – 2019

Research Interests: Maritime defence and security, defence industry, grand strategy.

Email address: [email protected]

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NAZHATH FAHEEMA

Education:
BSc Information Systems Management, Second Major in Law (Singapore Management University)

MSc Marketing & Consumer Insights (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University)

MSc Asian Studies (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University)

Thesis Topic: Between Diplomatic Estrangement and Engagement: Indonesia’s Foreign Policy and Political Discourse on Israel

Research Interests:

Foreign policy behaviour of Muslim-majority and Global South states in the Gulf and Asia, examining shifts across estrangement, hostility, and engagement towards Israel
Religious ideology, identity politics, and political narratives in foreign policy, with a focus on how Israel-related discourse is calibrated between ideological commitment and pragmatic state interests
Religious diplomacy and interfaith engagement within Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomatic frameworks, as sites of negotiation between normative, religious, and strategic considerations between Global South actors, Southeast Asia countries, and the Middle East

Publications:

Faheema, Nazhath. ‘Shifting Politics Between Muslim States & Israel: From the Khartoum Declaration to the Abraham Accords’. Muslim Politics Review 2, no. 2 (2023): 163–207. https://doi.org/10.56529/mpr.v2i2.203
Nazhath Faheema and Syera Anggreini Buntara, “Interfaith Diplomacy as a Path Towards Israel-Indonesia Relations?” Insight 299, in Israel–Asia Relations: New Trends, Old Challenges?, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore, July 4, 2023, https://mei.nus.edu.sg/publication/insight-299-interfaith-diplomacy-as-a-path-towards-israel-indonesia-relations/
Nazhath Faheema, “Beyond Fragile Coexistence: Rebuilding Jewish–Muslim Interfaith Dialogue in a Post-October 7th World,” NEXUS, Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies, June 5, 2025, https://nexus.haifa.ac.il/beyond-fragile-coexistence-rebuilding-jewish-muslim-interfaith-dialogue-in-a-post-october-7th-world/

Email address: [email protected]

LinkedIn

Resume

CONTI FRANCESCO

Education:

M.Law (University of Bologna); M. Terrorism, Security and Society (King’s College London)

Thesis Topic: How the transnational Jihadist threat has evolved since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and how international counterterrorism is responding to the threat

Research Interest:

Terrorism
Radicalization
Insurgency
Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency
Intelligence

Email: [email protected]

ROY CHAUDHURY SHANTANU

Academic Background:

MPhil University of Oxford

BA (Hons) Hindu College, Delhi University

Thesis Topic: The role of leaders amidst major power competition

Research Interests:

Chinese Foreign and Security Policy
Indian Foreign and Security Policy
South Asian and Indo-Pacific Geopolitics

Publications:

The China Factor: China’s Expanding Engagement in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Myanmar(London: Routledge), 2023
Pragmatism in the PRC’s South Asia Party Diplomacy – Jamestown Foundation China Brief, March 13, 2026
The Indispensable Adversary: India’s Approach to China– War on the Rocks, December 29, 2025
From ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’: Mapping India’s Southeast Asian Engagement– Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Issue Brief No. 800, May 5, 2025
Behind the Zhong Sheng pseudonym: Understanding China’s official diplomatic voice– The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, July 23, 2025
Water and the Exacerbation of India-China Relations, Antony’s International Review vol. 18, no. 1 (2023): 122-136

Email: [email protected]

HSU PHILIP WEI-HAO

Education: Georgetown University (B.S.F.S.) Columbia University (M.I.A.)

Thesis Topic: Technonationalism in China and Japan: The Role of Systemic Shocks

Research Interests: Tech policy, Cross-Strait relations, cybersecurity

Publications:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn

AUSHAZ IRFAN

Academic Background:

BA Economics (Sabanci University, Turkey)

MSc Asian Studies (RSIS, NTU)

Thesis Topic: Understanding the variations in great power behaviour towards Hedging States

Research interests: Great power politics: US foreign policy; Hedging; Alignment behaviour of secondary states

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn

ANG CHIN PIN ERIC

Education:

BSc – Life Sciences with a Concentration in Biology, National University of Singapore,

MSc – International Relations, RSIS, NTU

Thesis topic: Strong political will and avoidance of economic loss – Essential factors to Successfully Counter Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in Southeast Asia (SEA)?

Research interests:

MARSEC issues in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Email: [email protected]

YUSLIKHA KUSUMA WARDHANI

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia,

Master of Science in Applied Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia

Thesis topic: Comparing the Psychological Impact of Incarceration on Male and Female Terrorist Convicts: Implications for Post-Prison Adjustment in Indonesia

Research interests: Terrorism in Indonesia, Deradicalisation in Indonesia, Rehabilitation and re-integration of Terrorist convicts in Indonesia

Publications:

Islamist Governance and PVE Policy in Indonesia: Conceptual Ambiguity & Unintended Consequences, 14, 311-328, The Rule is For None but Allah, Horst & Co, 05/01/2023
Hopes and Hurdles for Indonesia’s National Action Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism, Policy Note, Resolve Network, 03/01/2022, https://doi.org/10.3785/pn2022.2.sea
Inadvertent Terrorist, Inside Indonesia, 02/19/2019, https://www.insideindonesia.org/an-inadvertent-terrorist
Testing Transitions: Extremist Prisoners re-entering Indonesian Society, Journal of Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 01/21/2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2018.1560666
Curbing Radical Sermons in Indonesia, East Asia Forum, 12/12/2018, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/12/12/curbing-radical-sermons-in-indonesia/

Email: [email protected]

GU BIN

Education:

LLB, China University of Mining and Technology; MSW, the University of Hong Kong; MSc, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU

Thesis topic: Understanding the Policy Shift in China’s Foreign Aid

Research interests: Foreign Aid; China’s Foreign Policy; Soft Power; Cultural Diplomacy; Non-traditional Security Issues

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn

KONG GONGMULAN

Education: BBA (Macau University of Science and Technology); MSC (University College London)

Thesis topic: How Corporate Community Involvement Affects Perceptions of China: An Empirical Study of Chinese Multinational Corporations in Southeast Asia

Research interests: International Political Economy, Chinese Economic Diplomacy, Overseas Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility

Email: [email protected]

Resume

HU XINYUE

Education:

BSc, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

MSc, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU

Thesis topic: Beyond Coercion: Resilience of Semiconductor Multinational Corporations to U.S. Weaponized Interdependence

Research Interest: Economic Statecraft, Corporate Diplomacy, State Business Relations, Technology Policy

Email: [email protected]

XING JIAYING

Education:

BL – International Politics (International Relations), Jinan University

MA – International Relations (Warwick-NTU Double Masters)

University of Warwick, MSc – Asian Studies (Warwick-NTU Double Masters), RSIS

Thesis topic: Understanding China’s Economic Statecraft in International Politics

Research interests:

International Relations
Chinese Foreign Policy
China’s Economic Statecraft
Sino-US Relations
China’s Relations with Asia

Publications:

Xing, Jiaying. “Informal or Formal? A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of China’s Two-Tiered Sanctions Policy.” Chinese Political Science Review. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-025-00307-0.
Xing, Jiaying, and Mingjiang Li. “Moving to Formality and Openness? An Analysis of China’s New Two-Tiered Sanctions Policy.” China Review 23, no.1 (2023): 377-406.
Xing, Jiaying, and Mingjiang Li. “China-ASEAN Engagement: Implications for EU’s Relations with Southeast Asia.” The Torino World Affairs Institute, October 1, 2025. https://www.twai.it/articles/china-asean-engagement-implications-eu/.
Xing, Jiaying. “China’s New Sanctions Policy: Characteristics, Rationales and Policy Implications.” RSIS Policy Report, May 8, 2025. https://rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/chinas-new-sanctions-policy-characteristics-rationales-and-policy-implications/.
Xing, Jiaying. “China’s Tech Regulation Paradox Amid Great Power Competition.” The Diplomat, January 31, 2026. https://thediplomat.com/2026/01/chinas-tech-regulation-paradox-amid-great-power-competition/.
Xing, Jiaying and Xinyue Hu. “China’s Strategic Design and Cautious Calibration of Rare Earth Leverage.” IDSS Paper, January 9, 2026. https://rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/idss/ip26004-chinas-strategic-design-and-cautious-calibration-of-rare-earth-leverage/.
Xing, Jiaying. “China’s Post-2018 Economic Statecraft: Sanctions, Countersanctions, and Export Controls.” The Diplomat, September 5, 2025. https://thediplomat.com/2025/09/chinas-post-2018-economic-statecraft-sanctions-countersanctions-and-export-controls/.

Email: [email protected]

Resume

PONG SOON WU

Education:

MSS (Nanyang Centre for Public Administration – Nanyang Technological University)

Thesis topic: The Ideational Catalysts for Small States in the Global War for Talent

Research interests:

International Political Economy
U.S.-China Relations
Regionalism and ASEAN
Talent Policy

Email: [email protected]

SOW YI WEN

Education:

B.A.(Hons) (Chinese Studies, University Tunku Abdul Rahman)

Master of Law (International Relations, Nanjing University)

Msc (International Relations, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies-Nanyang Technological University)

Thesis topic: The Soft Power Contest of China and Taiwan for Winning The Hearts of Malaysian Chinese

Research interests:

Overseas Chinese Studies
Soft Power; Cross-Strait Relations
Foreign Policy and Politics of Malaysia
South China Sea

Email: [email protected]

Resume

JAMIL A GHANI

Education:

Master of International Politics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Thesis topic: Economic Gain for Security Pain: Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in ASEAN Resource Rich-Countries

Research interests:

Malaysian foreign and national policies, culture and politics in contemporary Malaysia, and the impact of Chinese foreign direct investments in ASEAN resource-rich countries.
He has worked as a regulator in the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC) and the Malaysian Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC).
As a former National Key Economic Area (NKEA) facilitator for the oil, gas and energy Performance and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) lab, he has extensive experience in public-private partnerships and was involved in the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petrochemical Complex.

Publications:

Future-proofing Investment Regulation Across ASEAN

https://www.isis.org.my/author/jamil/

Email: [email protected]

HERNANDEZ SHERLYN MAE FELICIANO

Education:

Master in International Studies (University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines)

AB Major in Political Science, Cum Laude (De La Salle University – Manila, Philippines)

Thesis Topic: The Personal is Regional: Feminist International Relations in Southeast Asia

Research Interests:

Feminist International Relations
Southeast Asian Studies
Critical Security Studies
The Politics of Communication
Art and International Relations

Email: [email protected]

Resume

YAO BOWEN

Education:

NTU (Bachelor)

NUS LKYSPP (Master)

Thesis topic: Dances with a Giant: A Novel Theory of Hedging under Strategic Certainty

Research interests: IR theories; diplomatic history; Chinese and SE Asian foreign policies

Publications:

Email: [email protected]

Resume

NODIRBEK SOLIEV

Education:

LL.B. and LL.M. (University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent)

M.Sc. (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Thesis topic: Examining the Phenomenon of Fundamentalism Within Segments of Uzbek Immigrant Communities Abroad

Research interests:

Terrorist Propaganda/Strategies and Counterterrorism
Politico-Religious Ideologies and Fundamentalism
Transnational Diasporas, Minority Communities, and Radicalisation
Deradicalisation and Reintegration Policy Approaches
Irregular Warfare

Email: [email protected]

Resume

DIANDRA MEGAPUTRI MENGKO

Education:

Political Science (International Relations, Parahyangan Chatolic University)

MSc (Defence Management, Indonesian Defence University affiliated with Cranfield University)

Thesis Title: Parliamentary Oversight and Intelligence Reform in the Post Reformasi Indonesia

Research Interest:

Security Sector Reform in Indonesia
Intelligence Studies
Civil-Military Relations

Email: [email protected]

CHAN HIANG WEI ELGIN

Education:

BSc (Hons) (Rutgers University – New Brunswick); MA (Columbia University)

MSc (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies – Nanyang Technological University)

Thesis Title: Renminbi Internationalization on China’s Political Power: A Regime Type, and Country Income Level Analysis

Research Interest:

International Political Economy
Comparative Political Economy
International Finance Institutions
Global Financial Architecture

Publications:

Rana, Pradumna B., and Elgin Chan. “Reforming the Global Reserve System.” In From Centralised to Decentralising Global Economic Architecture: The Asian Perspective, pp. 113-129. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2022.
Chan, Elgin, and Li Mingjiang. “Renminbi Internationalisation and US Dollar Hegemony.” RSIS Commentaries,120-22 (2022).
Chan, Elgin, and Zi Yang. “China’s Renminbi Internationalization.” RSIS Commentaries, 135-22 (2022).
Chan, Elgin. “Renminbi internationalisation: China’s central bank digital currency.” RSIS Commentaries, 037-23 (2023).
Chan, Elgin. “Recent de-dollarisation efforts and the role of USD.” RSIS Commentaries, 057-23 (2023).
Chan, Elgin. “China’s great political and economic dilemma.” RSIS Commentaries, 097-23 (2023).
Chan, Elgin. “China’s financial sector reforms and their impact on its economy.” RSIS Commentaries, 040-
24 (2024).
Chan, Elgin. “Gold’s Recovery as a Vital Global Reserve Asset.” RSIS Commentaries, 062-24 (2024).
Chan, Elgin. “China’s Crypto Economy: Sacrificing Opportunity for Control?.” RSIS Commentaries, 008-25 (2025).