Professor Carlyle A. Thayer is Emeritus Professor of Politics at UNSW Canberra and Director of Thayer Consultancy. One of the leading specialists on Southeast Asian security and politics, his work focuses on regional strategic dynamics, defence cooperation, and the influence of major powers on Southeast Asia’s evolving security architecture.

Retired Indian Navy Captain, maritime doctrine expert, lawfare researcher, former Executive Director at National Maritime Foundation. Indo-Pacific strategy specialist.

Uma Sudhindra is a seasoned strategist and national security practitioner with over 30 years’ experience across defence, policy, and human capital development. Her work spans data sovereignty, strategic narratives, and capability-building, with advisory roles across leading academic and security institutions.

Rear Admiral Roye is the former Gujarat Naval Area Commander, Indian Navy, and currently Senior Advisor with Alvarez & Marsal, bringing deep expertise in maritime security, nuclear strategy, and ESG governance to the program.

Dr Divya Anand is Associate Dean (UG Program) and Assistant Professor at IILM, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. She previously served as Assistant Professor at Amity University, Noida. She holds an M.Phil. and PhD from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her expertise includes South Asian affairs, Indian foreign policy, security, terrorism and counterterrorism, and Indo-Pacific strategic developments. She has published in respected national and international journals.

Natalie is a defence and deterrence specialist focused on Indo-Pacific security. She is a Senior Fellow at the Indo-Pacific Studies Center and a Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies, with expertise in military capability and U.S. extended nuclear deterrence. She co-hosts Deterrence Down Under and holds a Master of Strategic Studies and an MBA from the Australian National University, and a Master of Engineering Management and Bachelor of Science (Applied Chemistry) from UTS.

Works at the intersection of international trade, economic diplomacy, and security, connecting Germany and the EU with partners across Asia amid global geopolitical and economic shifts. As Country Manager Asia at the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Commerce, Verena advises companies on market entry, expansion, and strategy in Asia, with a focus on India, Japan, Korea, and China.

A Republic of Korea Army officer (Retd), Captain James JB Park brings operational and strategic expertise in alliance coordination and Indo-Pacific security. He is a 2024 Non-Resident James A. Kelly Korea Studies Fellow. His analysis has been published in The Diplomat and Asia Times. He is a Young Leader at Pacific Forum and a NextGen member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). He holds a BA in Politics from New York University and is pursuing an MA at Columbia University. Profile image withheld in line with institutional requirements.

Professor Pradeep Nair is Director of Research and Professor of New Media Studies at the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India. A Senior Research Fellow with the Earth System Governance Project at Uppsala University, he is an expert member of the Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group under the International Nitrogen Network (NSF-funded). His work focuses on coastal sustainability, climate change, and ecosystem restoration through mitigation, adaptation, and nature-based solutions. He is affiliated with UNEP and the UNFCCC as a climate expert, and is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Geographical Society (London).

Dr Arbenita Sopaj is a Non-Resident Fellow at IPSC and an affiliated scholar at the Research Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Kobe. She serves on the board of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan and with the Academic Council of the United Nations (Tokyo). Her work examines U.S.–Japan strategy, East Asia security, and Balkan diplomacy.