Lloyd and Lilian Vasey Fellowship

The Lloyd and Lilian Vasey Fellowship program is named after Pacific Forum founder, the late Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey and his wife Lilian.

The Vasey Fellowship affords promising scholars from outside the US the opportunity to serve as researchers at the Pacific Forum and to develop hands-on expertise on US-Asia policy issues and gain an appreciation of Indo-Pacific economic and security affairs and policymaking challenges.

Applications are closed for the Vasey Non-resident and Resident Fellowship.

Eligibility and How to Apply:

  • Open to non-US citizens
  • Have completed their undergraduate education and
    • Have several years of experience in Indo-Pacific security issues, or
    • Has completed or is completing their graduate education (master’s or doctoral)
  • Proficient in English (verbal and written skills)
  • Must be eligible for an extended stay in the US

To apply for the Vasey Fellowship, please complete the Resident and/or Non-resident Vasey Fellowship online application form and include all materials listed below. All materials must be written in English. Any statement in your application that is found to be false will be grounds for disqualification.

  • A cover letter detailing interests and why the Vasey Fellowship will contribute to the applicant’s professional development.
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • A letter of recommendation
  • A description of a research project to undertake as a Vasey Fellow (not to exceed 1,500 words)

Important Notice: Pacific Forum is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and following the latest guidance from the Office of the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii emergency order currently in effect.

 

Current Resident Fellows:

Mark Bryan Manantan (PH) is the resident Vasey fellow at Pacific Forum, Hawai’i and the AI research and policy consultant at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington D.C. Concurrently he is also a research fellow at the AI Asia Pacific Institute in Singapore and a non-resident fellow at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Prior to that, he also held visiting fellowships at the Center for Rule-Making Strategies, Tama University; the Japan Foundation in Tokyo, Japan, and the East-West Center in Washington D.C. His current research examines the nexus of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and critical technologies in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Manantan’s research and policy-relevant work has been published by the Australian Journal of International Affairs, the Cyber Defense Review, Asian Politics and Policy, Issues and Studies, the East Asia Forum, the Diplomat, the Asia Pacific Bulletin, and the Philippine Star. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) in Broadcast Communication under the Presidential Scholarship at the University of the Philippines. A recipient of the Australia Awards Scholarship, he also holds a Master of International Relations (Advanced) with Honours from the Australian National University.

Current Non-resident Fellows:

Dr Adam Bartley (AUS) is a Non-resident Vasey Fellow at Pacific Forum and lecturer based at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He has a PhD in international relations from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where he was a research specialist in U.S. foreign policy and regional Indo-Pacific security. He has lived previously in China and has travelled extensively in Asia and the United States. He is the author of two manuscripts examining U.S. foreign policy and China entitled: Perceptions of China and White House Decision-Making, 1941-1963: Spears of Promise, Shields of Truth and US Foreign Policy and China: Security Challenges During the Bush, Obama, and Trump Administrations. Dr Bartley’s current research examines the intersection of geoeconomics and security in the Indo-Pacific amid the rise in gray-zone warfare.

 

Jonathan Bentham (UK) is a Non-resident Vasey Fellow at the Pacific Forum, and a Research Analyst with the Defence and Military Analysis Programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), where he works on the maritime domain. He is interested in observing the impact of the UK’s ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’ on maritime security within the region, with a particular focus on the British Royal Navy. Jonathan previously served in the Royal Navy at Britannia Royal Naval College, where he trained to be a Warfare Officer. He holds an MA in Security from Loughborough University and a BA in Oriental Studies from Pembroke College, University of Oxford. He grew up in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and Chile.

 

Dr. Tobias Burgers (NLD) is a project assistant professor at the Cyber Civilization Research Center, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. His primary research interests focus on cyber conflict, the governance of (new and emerging) technologies, and international security relations in the Indo-Pacific. His current research project – a Silent Spring for Cybersecurity – focuses on understanding the societal impact of cyber conflict and its consequences and implications for East Asian security dynamics. He was formerly a post-doctoral fellow at the Keio Global Research Institute, Keio University, and a Taiwan Fellow at the Center for Security Studies, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Before this, he worked at the Berlin N.G.O. Crisis Simulation for Peace, developing conflict simulation scenarios. He holds a Doctorate in Political Science and Diplom from the Otto Suhr Institute, Free University Berlin.

 

Dr. Sascha Lohmann (DEU) is an Associate at the Americas Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. Previously, he was Fritz Thyssen Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Transatlantic Research Fellow at the Institute for European Integration, University of Hamburg/Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, as well as American-German Situation Room Fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States/American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University. His current research focuses on U.S. export control policy on emerging and foundational technologies vis-à-vis the People’s Republic of China, and its multilateralization through cooperation by U.S. allies in Europe and Asia. A political scientist by training, he graduated with a diploma from Free University Berlin, and completed a PhD at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Philip Citowicki (AUS) is the Executive Officer of the Space Industry of Australia (SIAA), the peak industry body for Australia’s space industry. He is a former federal government adviser to former Australian Foreign Minister the Hon Julie Bishop and he was previously the aide Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London. In these positions Philip has undertaken a broad range of political and policy responsibilities and has seen him establish deep connections with think-tanks and government bodies globally. He has featured on TV and print in Australia, the U.S. and UK on foreign policy and government affairs. Philip is also in the Australian Army Reserve.

Florence Queen Principe Gamboa (PH) is a Non-resident Vasey Fellow at the Pacific Forum. She is currently the Managing Editor and Coordinator of the Philippine Strategic Forum and a Senior Research Associate at Amador Research Services. She previously served as a research analyst and coordinator for Publications and Track Two exchanges at Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress. Her research interests include major power relations, maritime security, regional alliances, and directions of Philippine Foreign Policy. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Master’s Degree in International Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman.