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Prashanth Parameswaran

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.

Posts by Prashanth Parameswaran
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May 20, 2020

What Does Malaysia’s Troubled Transition Mean for Democracy in Southeast Asia?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The country’s political upheaval reinforces the continued importance of paying attention to structural dynamics and the more contingent and contested nature of outcomes in domestic politics.
May 12, 2020

The Challenge of Grading Asia on COVID-19

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Amid the flood of assessments, we should be mindful of the challenges and limitations inherent in evaluating national performance on the coronavirus.

May 06, 2020

How Will COVID-19 Reshape Asia’s Energy Future?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at how the coronavirus could affect opportunities and challenges in the region’s energy sector in the coming years.

May 06, 2020

Myanmar’s 2020 Elections: What Does the Future Hold? 

By Prashanth Parameswaran
If the polls move forward despite the pandemic, it will be a landmark development for Myanmar.

April 30, 2020

COVID-19 and Risk Analysis: Look Beyond the Black Swan Talk

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The focus on “black swan” terminology detracts from the argument’s more sobering realities for risk analysis and prediction.
April 22, 2020

How Could COVID-19 Reshape Asia’s Digital Landscape?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at how the coronavirus could affect opportunities and challenges in the region’s digital domain.

April 17, 2020

The South China Sea in 2020: What to Watch

By Prashanth Parameswaran
An interview with Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS.
April 14, 2020

Malaysian Politics Under the New Perikatan Nasional Government

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A conversation on Malaysia’s trajectory after the sudden collapse of the Pakatan Harapan coalition and the rise of the new Perikatan Nasional government.

April 14, 2020

New Offshore Patrol Vessel Commissioning Puts Philippines Coast Guard in the Headlines

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Earlier this week, Manila officially commissioned another key vessel into the PCG’s fleet.

April 14, 2020

How Will COVID-19 Impact Timor-Leste’s Politics?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
While it is still early days, the global coronavirus pandemic could end up shaping the country’s political and economic future in important ways.

April 13, 2020

How Will Thailand’s Future Military Planning Shift Amid its Coronavirus Challenge?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at suggestions that COVID-19 could affect the country’s future defense outlook.
April 13, 2020

Cambodia’s COVID-19 Response in the Headlines with New State of Emergency

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at the passing of the legislation that had generated controversy since it had begun to be floated.

Page 5 of 188