Fellowship Programs

James A. Kelly Korea Fellowship

The James A. Kelly Korean Studies Fellowship Program will promote academic study, research, and professional career paths focused on Korean Peninsula studies by young Kelly Fellows.

It recognizes the exemplary efforts of Jim Kelly to improve US-ROK relations and encourage the DPRK to denuclearize and join the international community of nations.

The overall objective of the fellowship is to promote stronger US-ROK, US-DPRK, and inter-Korean relations through a variety of Pacific Forum programs. The fellowship makes a deliberate effort to encourage the study of Korean economic and security issues, focusing on raising awareness among the next generation of scholars and officials in the U.S., ROK, and worldwide about the Korean Peninsula’s vital role in regional and international affairs.

Kelly Fellows will develop their knowledge of Korean Peninsula issues through participation in the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders program, research under the guidance of Pacific Forum senior staff, and the continuing series of U.S.-ROK and broader tri-/multilateral forums.

Eligibility and How to Apply:

Open Citizenship
Have completed their undergraduate education and
Have several years of experience in Indo-Pacific security issues, or
Have completed or are completing their graduate education (master’s or doctoral)
Proficient in English (verbal and written skills)
For non-U.S. citizens, an applicant must possess or be eligible for an extended stay visa

To apply for the Kelly Fellowship, please complete the Non-resident Kelly 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 how the Kelly 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 Kelly Fellow (not to exceed 1,500 words)

Current Resident Fellow:

Marialaura De Angelis

Ms. Marialaura De Angelis: Northeast Asia Analyst, Asia Guild Project Co-founder, Track2Asia Senior Advisor (Former KNI, Japan/Korean Peninsula Specialist). Based in Brussels

Marialaura is an international relations analyst with a solid expertise on Northeast Asia and extensive experience on EU external affairs, mediation-support, and dialogue facilitation.

In 2008-2009, she worked at the European Parliament where she gained first-hand experience of intergovernmental relations between the EU and Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula. Between 2009 and 2014, Marialaura focused on EU-East Asia Trade and Political negotiations–helping European and Asian policy makers overcome the political and cultural barriers to achieve constructive dialogue.

A passionate advocate for peaceful conflict resolution, she has been involved in peacebuilding efforts on the Korean peninsula since 2008.In 2011, she was at the forefront of the creation and development of a Track 1.5 dialogue aimed at adapting the Irish peace process to the reality of the Korean Peninsula crisis. In 2014, she co-founded Track2Asia, an NGO focused on Track 2 and Track 1.5 diplomacy between Europe and East Asia. In 2017, Marialaura joined the Korea Negotiation Initiative (KNI), a collaborative effort devoted to facilitating a negotiated resolution to the Korean nuclear crisis. During this period, she participated in many Track 1.5 and Track 2 meetings and negotiations with North Koreans.

Her collaborations include platforms such as The Northeast Asian Economic Forum (NEAEF) (2010-2016), and projects such as “Creating an International Network for Peace Studies and Research: Peace Lessons from Europe for the Korean peninsula” hosted by the Leiden University College in The Hague (since 2017); and the Stakeholders Consultations on the Korean Peninsula Crisis hosted by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) (since 2016).

Marialaura’s research and written contributions focus on promoting innovative diplomatic solutions to secure peace and denuclearization in Northeast Asia, with a special focus on EU and US diplomatic efforts in this region. In 2022, she was selected as a fellow in the program hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) for emerging Korea Peninsula specialists, where she researched the topic of US-DPRK nuclear negotiations in the current security environment. Since 2021, she has been a regular contributor to NK News and NKPro online news outlets.

In 2023, she co-created the Asia Guild, the first Think-and-Do hub in Brussels dedicated to Northeast Asia.

Akhil Ramesh

Akhil Ramesh is a Senior Resident Fellow at Pacific Forum. He engages in research on the increasing intersection of economic, trade and national security policy making in the Indo-Pacific. As an extension, he is working toward expanding the portfolio of economic statecraft related programming at Pacific Forum. He holds an M.S. with a concentration in global macroeconomics from New York University in New York, a certificate in business and geopolitics from HEC Paris, France. Most recently, he worked with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Prior to that, based out of New York City, worked as a project coordinator and lead of the mapping project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative at the EastWest Institute. He is a columnist with the American newspaper the Hill and his research has been featured in CNN, Washington Post, Bloomberg and published in global journals such as Nikkei Asia, Japan Times, South China Morning Post, to name a few.