As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality analysis and programming across the Indo-Pacific region, Pacific Forum is delighted to announce three new adjunct fellows: Elizabeth Freund Larus, Alexander Neill, and Michael Walsh.
Each of these three adjunct fellows greatly expand our expertise on subjects crucial to the future of the region as a whole, including cross-straits relations, China’s foreign relations, and the Pacific Islands.
Elizabeth Freund Larus
Adjunct Fellow
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Fellow. She is Founder and President of E Larus Consulting LLC, and Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A Fulbright Scholar and Taiwan Fellow, she specializes in East Asian political, economic, and security dynamics. Dr. Larus draws on more than 30 years of experience with the Asia-Pacific. She is author of the books Politics and Society in Contemporary China and Economic Reform in China, as well as dozens of book chapters, articles and online commentary on Chinese politics, Taiwan politics, China-Taiwan relations, US in Asia, and security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. She regularly contributes her insight to international media outlets, such as the Financial Times, Fortune magazine, CNBC, BBC, WION (India), Channel NewsAsia, and Indus News.
Alexander Neill
Adjunct Fellow
Alexander Neill joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Fellow. He has devoted his career to examining the impact of China on the global stage. Through his work for government agencies and think-tanks, he has fostered deep links with the strategic community across the Indo-Pacific region. After graduating from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Alexander Neill worked for the British and US governments in his early career. As a Chinese linguist and expert, he has published on Asian security issues and developed a keen grasp of geopolitics and security concerns in Asia. In 2005, he joined the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London as Head of the Asia Programme. There, his focus was to develop research on British security policy in Asia, including by coordinating “track two” projects in Asia and high-level dialogues in Beijing, Delhi, Pyongyang, Taipei, and Tokyo. He joined the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore in 2013 as Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific Security. He was responsible for delivering the summit agenda and research projects focusing on Asia-Pacific security issues, particularly on China and its relationships in the region.
Michael Walsh
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Michael Walsh joins Pacific Forum International as Adjunct Senior Fellow. He also is the President of the Islands Society and an Affiliate of the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Prior to these roles, he served as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Security Affairs Subcommittee on the Biden Defense Working Group during the 2020 Presidential Campaign. He is a subject matter expert on: Asia-Pacific Security Affairs; Democracy-Security Dilemmas; Strategies, Policies, Plans, and Concepts. His research tends to focus on the following regions: East Asia; Pacific Islands; Southeast Asia; Subsaharan Africa. And, his current research makes use of the following frameworks and methodologies: Delphi Method; Dotmocracy; Logic Models; Policy Analysis; Social Facts; Strategic Planning; Thematic Analysis. He regularly advises government, bureaucracy, and think tanks on defense, democracy, development, and diplomacy. He also is an opinion contributor to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Marianas Variety, Pacific Island Times, Taipei Times, and The Hill newspapers.
