The Diplomat | Author

Prashanth Parameswaran
Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a Senior Columnist at The Diplomat, a Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, and the Founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter.
Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a Senior Columnist at The Diplomat, a Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, and the Founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter, a research hub focused on advancing a global and comprehensive approach to analyzing Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific foreign and security policy.
A political scientist by training, Dr. Parameswaran’s research and analysis focuses on Southeast Asian political and security issues, Asian defense affairs, U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific and global geopolitical and geoeconomic developments. He has held roles linked to think tanks, media, business, and government in the United States and in the Asia-Pacific.
Dr. Parameswaran has conducted grant-based field research across the region, consulted for companies and governments, taught courses affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State, and authored policy reports, journal articles, and book chapters on Asian affairs. His research and commentary have been published widely in the United States and across the region in leading publications and journals including CNN, The Washington Post, The South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, Asia Policy, and Contemporary Southeast Asia. His first book, Elusive Balances: Shaping U.S.-Southeast Asia Strategy, which was published in 2022, developed an original framework for understanding major power commitments to regions and applied it to the evolution of U.S. commitment to Southeast Asia.
Dr. Parameswaran holds a Ph.D. and an MA focused on international relations, international business, and U.S. foreign policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a BA in foreign affairs and peace and conflict studies from the University of Virginia.
Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn, and get in touch via email.

June 15, 2020
Blunting China’s South China Sea ‘New Normal’ Quest Starts With the Southeast Asian Claimants
By Prashanth Parameswaran

June 04, 2020
What the US-Philippines VFA Withdrawal Suspension Does and Doesn’t Say About the Alliance
By Prashanth Parameswaran

May 20, 2020
What Does Malaysia’s Troubled Transition Mean for Democracy in Southeast Asia?
By Prashanth Parameswaran

May 12, 2020
The Challenge of Grading Asia on COVID-19
By Prashanth Parameswaran

May 06, 2020
How Will COVID-19 Reshape Asia’s Energy Future?
By Prashanth Parameswaran

May 06, 2020
Myanmar’s 2020 Elections: What Does the Future Hold?
By Prashanth Parameswaran

April 30, 2020
COVID-19 and Risk Analysis: Look Beyond the Black Swan Talk
By Prashanth Parameswaran

April 22, 2020
How Could COVID-19 Reshape Asia’s Digital Landscape?
By Prashanth Parameswaran

April 17, 2020
The South China Sea in 2020: What to Watch
By Prashanth Parameswaran

April 14, 2020
Malaysian Politics Under the New Perikatan Nasional Government
By Prashanth Parameswaran

April 14, 2020
New Offshore Patrol Vessel Commissioning Puts Philippines Coast Guard in the Headlines
By Prashanth Parameswaran
