letter from the director & associate director hopkins... · 2019-07-29 · asia programs...

Newsletter, May 2017

Dear Students, Alumni, Friends and Colleagues:

Last fall, as part of Johns Hopkins SAIS’ ongoing efforts to update and enhance our Asia-related academic programs, Dean Nasr asked us to lead an integration of the administration of the four regional studies programs -Japan Studies, Korea Studies, South Asia Studies, and Southeast Asia Studies – under a new structure, Asia Programs.

Our four programs are well recognized for providing Johns Hopkins SAIS students with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the trends shaping Asia in the 21st century and applying theoretical propositions on development, strategy, and conflict resolution to real circumstances in the Asia region, among the states of Asia, and in U.S.-Asia relations. Recognizing these strengths, the four Asia programs’ core curricula and requirements will remain the same, and individual program activities and opportunities, including sponsored study trips and discussions, will continue to be offered. The new structure will build on these strengths by providing a more comprehensive, cross-regional approach that addresses issues common to all programs.

Over the course of this year, as the Director and Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins SAIS Asia Programs, we have been working to help strengthen and enhance the four programs, consolidating and updating administrative operations, and identifying programmatic synergies in areas such as curriculum planning and development. We have organized joint activities with other academic programs and policy organizations, and supported a calendar of activities and events focused on contributing both to our concentrators’ academic and professional growth and to the policy dialogue at Johns Hopkins SAIS, in Washington, and beyond.

We are currently developing our 2017-2018 activities and events calendar, and look forward to supporting opportunities for our concentrators and the Johns Hopkins SAIS community to engage in policy research and dialogue. We are also launching Asia Programs on social media, and encourage you to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

We are excited about the promise these changes bring and the progress we have made, and look forward to building upon our progress in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Kent Calder, DirectorSharon Yanagi, Associate Director

Sharon Yanagi, Kent Calder, Congressman Joaquin Castro(D-TX), Dean Vali Nasr, and Wendy Cutler, at this April’sjoint event, The First 100 Days: U.S.-Asia Relations underthe Trump Administration | Photo by Noel St. John

Letter from the Director & Associate Director

Asia Programs Newsletter, May 2017

Kent E. CalderDirector, Asia ProgramsDirector, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies

Before arriving at Johns Hopkins SAIS in 2003, Dr. Calder taught for twenty years at PrincetonUniversity, was a Visiting Professor at Seoul National University, and Lecturer on Government atHarvard University. A specialist in East Asian political economy, Dr. Calder has spent 11 years livingand researching in East Asia. His most recent works include Singapore: Smart City, Smart State(2016), The U.S., Japan, and the Gulf Region (2015), Asia in Washington (2014) and The NewContinentalism: Energy and Twenty-First Century Eurasian Geopolitics (2012). Dr. Calder has servedas Special Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic andInternational Studies, and as the first Executive Director of Harvard University’s Program on U.S.-Japan Relations. Dr. Calder received his PhD from Harvard University in 1979, where he workedunder the direction of Edwin O. Reischauer. Dr. Calder was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, GoldRays with Neck Ribbon by the Japanese government in the fall of 2014.

Meet the Director & Associate Director

CONTENTS

EVENTS & ACTIVITIESSAIS Asia Conference 2017…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……...3The First 100 Days: U.S.-Asia Relations Under the Trump Administration…………………………………….4Asia Programs Roundtable with Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX)…………………………….…………….5

STUDY TRIPSInternational Politics in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula……………………………..………………….6The Rise of India and China………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7Infrastructure and Development in South Asia………………………….…………………………………………………......7United States and Japan in Global Context……………………………………………………..………………………………….8

SUMMER INTERNSHIPSInternship at Yomiuri Shimbun……………………………………………..……………………………………………………………9Internship at AmCham Singapore……………………………………………………………..………………………………...........9

MEET YOUR PROFESSORSInterview with Joshua White, South Asia Studies…………………………………….………………………………….......10Interview with Vikram Nehru, Southeast Asia Studies……………………………………..…………………………......11

Sharon YanagiAssociate Director, Asia Programs

In a newly created position as Associate Director, Sharon Yanagi is the central academic administratorfor the school’s Japan, Korea, South Asia, and Southeast Asia Studies programs. She has extensiveprogram management experience and a background in Asia policy from a career working ingovernment and for international policy and business organizations. Most recently, she was Chief ofStaff at the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, where she was part of asenior management team overseeing bureau performance during a period of significant policy andorganizational change. During the Clinton Administration, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretaryof Asia and the Pacific at the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, and as aBureau Congressional and Public Affairs Director. She has also served as Executive Director of theU.S.-Japan Council, Deputy Director of the Brookings Institution’s East Asia Policy Studies Center, aconsultant at the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, and Public Affairs Director at the Tokyo-basedAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

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EVENTS & ACTIVITIESSAIS Asia Programs held many events throughout Academic Year 2016-2017, including roundtables, seminar discussions,

lectures, and high-profile conferences.

SAIS Asia Conference 2017Kaj MaldenChina Studies, May '17

On March 31, 2017, Johns Hopkins SAIS hosted its 6thannual Asia Conference. Each year, the conferenceprovides Johns Hopkins SAIS students interested in AsianStudies a unique opportunity to organize, manage, and runa whole-day conference that brings together students andexperts in the Asia policy community to present anddiscuss original research on pressing issues in Asia-Pacificaffairs.

As Co-Chairs, Ashwini Srinivas (SAIS MA ’17, SoutheastAsia Studies) and I had to figure out early on what theexact theme of the 6th conference would be. It wasSeptember 2016, and news coverage of the upcoming U.S.presidential election was nonstop. Similar leadershiptransitions were already unfolding in Asia. Over theprevious summer, Rodrigo Duterte won the Philippinepresidential election, and the upper echelons of theCommunist Party of China were busy choreographing the19th Party Congress to be held in Beijing the followingyear. It was against this backdrop of recalibration ofleadership and political dynamics in U.S.-Asia relationsthat the Conference Organizing Committee decided on thetheme of “U.S.-Asia Relations: Past and Future.”

Throughout the fall, the team received dozens of researchabstracts from students around the world exploringsimilar questions: As President Obama prepares to leaveoffice, how should analysts assess his “Asia Rebalance”policy? Given both presidential candidates’ disavowal ofthe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), what shouldobservers expect from U.S. engagement with Asia in 2017?How will U.S. partners (and competitors) in Asia react tothis new engagement?

These questions are difficult to answer, but conferencepanelists and guest speakers offered the SAIS and widerAsia policy communities insightful starting points fordoing so. Student panelists presented papers on a range oftopics in U.S.-Asia relations, including cyber espionage,the possibility of a Thucydides trap in Asia, internationalcollaboration in regimes governing outer space, and theevolving roles of U.S. non-NATO allies in Asia. SAISprofessors collaborated with panelists in assessing the pastand future of U.S.-Asia relations, and provided studentpresenters with invaluable feedback on their research andanalysis.

The Conference Organizing Committee wasparticularly excited to welcome two speakers for theevent. Matthew Goodman, the William C. SimonChair in Political Economy at the Center for Strategicand International Studies, delivered a morningpresentation that examined emerging complexities inU.S.-Asia trade relations and the implications of theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP) for Asian economic integration and intrastatetrade. In the afternoon, Antony Blinken, formerDeputy Secretary of State and Deputy NationalSecurity Adviser to President Obama, and theHerter/Nitze Distinguished Scholar at the SAISForeign Policy Institute, reminded audiences in aneloquent keynote address that U.S. engagement withAsia must be maintained to ensure global stabilityand prosperity. Blinken related to attendees thestrategic priority that he and his colleagues in theWhite House placed on the Asia-Pacific region, andhighlighted the challenges and opportunities the AsiaRebalance strategy faced in promoting a rules-basedeconomic and security order in one of the world’smost dynamic regions.

Understanding and engaging with that dynamism iswhat makes events like the SAIS Asia Conference soimportant. By bringing together former practitionersand future shapers of foreign policy vis-à-vis Asia, theSAIS Asia Conference contributes to global stability. Iwas honored to participate in its stewardship, andlook forward to seeing how future generations ofSAIS students advance important dialogues on Asia-Pacific affairs.

“Understanding and engaging with that

dynamism is what makes events like the SAIS Asia

Conference so important.”

Right: Co-Chairs Kaj Malden and Ashwini Srinivas, with keynotespeaker Antony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State andDeputy National Security Adviser to President Obama, and theHerter/Nitze Distinguished Scholar at the SAIS Foreign PolicyInstitute.

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EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

The First 100 Days: U.S.-Asia Relations under the Trump Administration

On 25 April, 2017, a few days shy of the 100 day mark ofthe Trump Administration, Johns Hopkins SAIS AsiaPrograms and the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), inassociation with the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for EastAsian Affairs and the U.S.-Korea Institute, hosted aconference examining how the Trump Administration hasengaged the Asia region and begun to define its foreignpolicy agenda in Asia, and what the implications are forU.S.-Asia relations. This was our first collaboration withASPI, the Asia Society’s policy arm, whose mission is toadvance international cooperation and effectivepolicymaking for Asia.

The program opened with keynote remarks by SenatorCory Gardner (R-CO), Chairman of the Senate ForeignRelations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, andInternational Cybersecurity Policy. Senator Gardnerdiscussed several of the Trump Administration’s mosturgent priorities in Asia, including a nuclear North Koreaand escalating tensions in the East China Sea and SouthChina Sea. He also discussed the Asia ReassuranceInitiative Act (ARIA), legislation he introduced tostrengthen U.S. security commitments to allies and buildpartner capacities in the region to “deter aggression,project power, and combat terrorism.”

Senator Gardner’s remarks were followed by an expertpanel comprising Kent Calder, Director of Johns HopkinsSAIS Asia Programs and the Reischauer Center, WendyCutler, Vice President of ASPI, Richard Fontaine,President of the Center for a New American Security,Michael Swaine, Senior Fellow at the CarnegieEndowment for International Peace, and Joshua White,Associate Professor of the Practice of South Asia Studies atJohns Hopkins SAIS. Jacob Schlesinger, SeniorCorrespondent for The Wall Street Journal, moderated.Panelists discussed some of the most critical issues facingthe United States in Asia, including North Korea’scontinued nuclear weapons development and testing, theU.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, andtransactional relations with India

Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), founding Co-Chair of the U.S.-Japan Congressional Caucus andthe Congressional Caucus on ASEAN and Member ofthe House Committee on Intelligence and the HouseForeign Affairs Committee, delivered luncheonkeynote remarks. Congressman Castro discussedchallenges facing the United States in Asia. Heemphasized that the United States must demonstrateleadership through the implementation of well-thought-out policy and steady diplomacy and saidthat it has so far been challenging to decipher whatdirection President Trump’s foreign policy willtake. While such unpredictability has advantages,the Administration runs the risk of being perceivedby our allies as untrustworthy.

Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO)

Stephanie PapaProgram Administrator, Asia Programs, SAIS Class of ‘13

Photos by Noel St. John4


EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Asia Programs Student Roundtable with Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX)Siddarth RavishankarSouth Asia Studies Minor, May '17

On April 25th, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX)participated in an event titled “The First 100 Days: U.S.-Asia Relations Under the Trump Administration.” Afterthe public portion of the event, he spoke with studentsfrom the Johns Hopkins SAIS Asia Programs in a closeddoor session.

Congressman Castro is the founding co-chair of the U.S.-Japan Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on ASEAN.During his time in Congress, he has worked to advance thebreadth and scope of U.S.-ASEAN ties. In the meeting,students and Congressman Castro discussed U.S. prioritiesin Asia and his efforts to increase U.S. engagement withthe region.

During the earlier speech and the meeting, CongressmanCastro discussed U.S. relations with China, Japan,Southeast Asia, and participation in multilateral deals likethe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). He highlighted theimportance of sustained engagement with Asian countries,part of his efforts as a co-founder of the two Asia-focusedcaucuses.

The SAIS students who spoke with Congressman Castrocame from diverse backgrounds and raised questionsabout public service, the economy, and internationalrelations. Students also asked general career advice and

discussed the value of perseverance. Each studentbrought to the table their expertise on specific issuesin Asia, ranging from maritime security to thedynamics of ASEAN.

The speech and the meeting helped familiarizestudents with the practical and policy experience ofCongressman Castro. It was an excellent opportunityfor SAIS students, made possible by active AsiaPrograms that take advantage of SAIS’ location in theheart of Washington, DC.

Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) answers a questionfrom Siddarth Ravishankar, South Asia Studies Minor, ’17Photo by Noel St. John

Asia Programs and China Studies’ Co-Hosted Lunar New Year Celebration, January 2017

Left: Foods of Asia

Right: Kite of a Daruma

doll, a talisman of good luck

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STUDY TRIPSEvery year, several students in the Asia Programs take study trips to Asia. This year, students traveled to India, Korea, and

Japan to study a wide range of topics, from infrastructure to political economy, policy-making to national security, and more.

International Politics in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula

Shan WuKorea Studies, May '18

During Korea Studies' spring trip to Seoul through theclass, "International Politics in Northeast Asia and theKorean Peninsula," we visited institutions that are at thecenter of South Korea’s policy-making decisions anddeepened our understanding of our research topics. Wevisited the National Assembly soon after the presidentialimpeachment and engaged in conversations with leadersfrom such parties as the People’s Party, Bareun Party,and the Minjoo Party. The Minjoo Party’s candidate, Mr.Moon Jae-in, recently became South Korea’s 19thPresident. During our conversation with CongressmanKim Kyung-hyup form the Minjoo Party, he emphasizedthe importance of dialogue in dealing with North Korea.

We were particularly excited to have a discussion with aNorth Korean defector journalist, Mr. Joo Seong-ha, at aSouth Korean representative newspaper, Dong-A Daily(East Asia Daily). On the subject of potential nuclearand missile provocation from North Korea, Mr. Joo saidthat the possibility is low because North Korea’s priorityis to maintain the “Kim Jong-un Dynasty” andconducting a preemptive strike would mean the end ofthe regime. Dong-A Daily reported our visit in itsnewspaper on March 22nd.

While visiting the U.S. and Japanese embassies, welearned the importance of U.S.-Japan-South Koreacooperation in dealing with the North Korean nuclearthreat. From our conversations with the JapaneseDeputy Ambassador, Mr. Hideo Suzuki, we learnedabout the Japanese effort in building trust with othercountries in the region through cultural exchangeprograms and Official Development Assistance(ODA) to ASEAN.

Throughout the trip, we discussed theTerminal High Altitude Area Defensemissile (THAAD) deployment withrepresentatives from the South Koreancongress, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,National Defense University, think tanks,U.S. Force Korea, and Chinese academia.These discussions highlighted theimportance of U.S.-China cooperation inaddressing complex issues and in improvingSouth Korea-China relations. We alsovisited South Korean palaces and the BlueHouse, and witnessed mass demonstrations.

Before leaving South Korea, we traveled tothe Demilitarized Zone, where SecretaryTillerson had visited a week earlier. Byvisiting the North Korean tunnels and thePanmunjom at the 38th Parallel, weuncovered the Cold War imprint andpondered on maintaining peace andsecurity on the Korea Peninsula. During thetrip, I overheard a tourist say that theKorean War had not officially ended, whichreminded me of my pursuits at JohnsHopkins SAIS and beyond.

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STUDY TRIPS

The Rise of India and ChinaShiyana GunasekaraSouth Asia Studies, '18

In the fall of 2016, South Asia Studies offered the course,“The Rise of India and China,” which included a studytrip to New Delhi, India to gain context of the evolvingstatus of India and China relations. Our class includedstudents from a variety of regional concentrations andfunctional backgrounds, which truly added depth to ourcourse discussions, including meetings we had with keyinterest groups and government officials in India.

Our week in Delhi covered numerous topics related tothe political and economic development of India, andhow they relate to the rise of China. We spoke tobusiness leaders with the Confederation of IndianIndustries (CII); experts on urbanization, theenvironment, and agriculture; and senior U.S. diplomatsbased in India’s capital, to name a few of our meetings.

While our days were mostly packed withinformative discussions that gave us acomprehensive understanding of what motivatesIndia’s political machine, we did find some timeto visit some of the country’s world renownedhistorical sites. The Taj Mahal was abreathtaking experience that I doubt will everlose its appeal, and I am fortunate to have seen itfor my second time with a group of students whohave a true appreciation for ancient cultures.

This course has overall greatly shaped mygrowing curiosity in Asia by balancing myregional interest in South Asia to one that moreactively engages China, and its role in the IndianOcean. I look forward to taking more courses onChina in the upcoming semesters!

Infrastructure and Development in South AsiaJacky XieSouth Asia Studies, '18

As a South Asia Studies concentrator, I have alwayswanted to visit India. With all the news coverage Ihave seen (on the one hand, news of social cleavages,crime, and pollution, and on the other, news of abooming economy, effective reforms, and a surge ofinnovative enterprise), I have to ask, is India aheaven or a hell? Those questions propelled me totake the course “Infrastructure and Development inSouth Asia.” As part of this course, we went on a tourto New Delhi, India to examine the status quo andfuture trends in infrastructure development bytalking to senior policy makers, entrepreneurs, andthink tank scholars.

It turned out to be a fantastic journey. We managedto meet with senior officials such as the JointSecretary at the Department of Economic Affairs andrepresentatives of the Ministry of Finance, and visitworld-renowned Indian company Tata Power andtalk to prestigious academics such as Dr. ArvindPanagariya.

Meeting with Dr. Arvind Panagariya, the Vice-chairman of the National Institution for TransformingIndia (NITI Aayog), was the highlight of my trip.Having read his foundational book on Indian economy,The Emerging Giant, I was very fortunate to have theopportunity to have a discussion with him on the Modigovernment’s reform agenda. One thing he mentionedinterested me greatly: in order to push forward reformsin key sectors, such as labor regulations and landacquisition, the central government plans todecentralize such reforms. States would be encouragedto compete against each other on foreign investment bycarrying out pro-efficiency reforms—exactly whatChina has done. Will India succeed in emulatingChina’s reform strategy and create an “India Miracle”?It is such an intriguing question that I will have to findout the answer.

Everything I had read about India came alive throughthis trip. India is neither a hell nor a heaven — it is apromising land, with great potential yet to beuncovered. 7


STUDY TRIPS

United States and Japan in Global ContextDiscussion with Professor William BrooksAdjunct Professor, Japan Studies

Johns Hopkins SAIS Asia Programs sat down withProfessor William Brooks to discuss his class, “UnitedStates and Japan in Global Context,” the studentresearch trip to Tokyo during Spring Break, and theannual publication of the U.S.-Japan Yearbook.Supported by the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for EastAsian Studies, a research institution that supports thestudy of transpacific and intra-Asian relations, thesethree elements of the Japan Studies program areinvaluable opportunities for students to expand theircritical thinking and research skills, as well as gain first-hand experience in the region.

Professor Brooks’ class examines the history of wartimeand postwar U.S.-Japan relations and current issuesfacing the relationship, especially in the context ofshifting geopolitical balances, economic patterns, anddomestic political agendas. This class is an opportunityfor students to write a publishable-quality original paperon a timely topic of U.S.-Japan policy. Once completed,these papers can be incorporated into the U.S.-JapanYearbook, “The United States and Japan in GlobalContext,” published by the Reischauer Center.

The U.S.-Japan Yearbook has been published for over 25years. Student authors examine general trends in U.S.-Japan relations, as well as specific issues such asmultilateral and bilateral trade relations, directinvestment trends, security posture, maritime security,and the nuclear threat from North Korea. In a regionwhere the future is so in question, and one where theregional architecture may be edging out the UnitedStates, these topics are especially salient.

In the upcoming issue of the Yearbook, for example, onestudent’s paper will examine how Japan usesdevelopment assistance as a soft power tool, particularlyin light of the limitations of Japan’s Pacifist constitution.The student asks how might soft power be strategicallyapplied and how might the power of Japan as a “GlobalCitizen” entice other actors in the region to be moremoderate. Past paper topics in the Yearbook havetouched on economic, security, and political issues, butalso more unexpected topics such as sports diplomacy inJapan and Japan’s lack of competitiveness in the gamingindustry.

In order to conduct more intensive research for theirYearbook papers, students may elect to participate in aresearch trip to Tokyo during Spring Break. Prior to thetrip, the students conduct a literature review andinterview subject matter experts around Washington, DCand at Johns Hopkins SAIS. While in Tokyo, studentslocate key experts with whom they would like to speakand Japan Studies assists them in arranging one-on-oneor group discussions. Students meet with members ofthe foreign policy community, government, economicinstitutions, think tanks, and the Japanese NationalDiet, among others.

The study trip to Tokyo this past year also featured agroup briefing by the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and members ofthe trade industry. Students and faculty also spoke withrepresentatives of the American Chamber of Commerceand received a group briefing at Temple UniversityJapan. One of the highlights of the trip was the students’participation in a class at Tokyo’s famous tea ceremonyschool – perhaps the most challenging class the studentswill ever take, and without a doubt the most unique!

The 2017 U.S.-Japan Yearbook will be published in the fall of 2017. Keepan eye out for announcements on the Reischauer Center’s social mediapages.

Left: As one of the group meetings, students meet with researchers at theJapan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA).Top Right: Before participating in an Urasenke tea ceremony, studentsfirst learn the proper purification method.Bottom Right: Students and Professor Brooks celebrate a successfulresearch trip at Gonpachi, the restaurant that inspired the House of BlueLeaves in the movie Kill Bill. 8


INTERNSHIPS

Internship at the Yomiuri ShimbunTimothy WhiteJapan Studies, '16

Before coming to SAIS, I had worked in communications,and because of my interest in the field, the Japan Studiesprogram secured me an internship at the YomiuriShimbun. My internship was at The Japan News, a dailyEnglish-language newspaper run by Yomiuri. The day-to-day tasks included editing translations of articles thathad been originally written in Japanese, writingheadlines, and checking the layout for pages before theywent to print. Despite being an intern at one of thelargest media companies in the world, I was immediatelytreated like one of the team, and was working on front-page re-writes and headlines by the end of my first day.

I attended daily rundown meetings that determinedcontent for The Japan News, and observed editorialmeetings for the parent newspaper. While I hadpreviously studied in Tokyo and visited on business, mytwo months at the paper provided a level of exposure to aJapanese work environment that I had neverexperienced before.

The internship also allowed me to continue research Iwas interested in, as I was able to speak to the employeeson the sports desk of the newspaper about my work onJapan’s sport diplomacy. Through these connections, Iwas invited to watch a baseball game from the press box,and speak with one of the few foreigners to manage aJapanese team.

While in Tokyo, I stayed in a guest house with severalother SAIS students and met other young professionalsfrom around the world. My fellow SAIS students and Ialso met up with alumni in the Tokyo area for one ofTokyo’s fireworks festivals. I’m very thankful to theJapan Studies program for giving me the opportunity tolive and work in Tokyo for a summer!

Internship at AmChamSingaporeAshwini SrinivasSoutheast Asia Studies, '17

I spent the summer of 2016 as a Business Developmentand Government Affairs intern at the AmericanChamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham). Mysupervisors at AmCham entrusted me with meaningfulprojects, and I was given the freedom to take the leadand approach the projects in my own manner.

I collaborated with the Government and Public Affairsteam on their annual publication, the ASEAN BusinessOutlook Survey, which aims to understand U.S.business sentiment in Southeast Asia. I worked withthe Business Development team to provide detailedanalysis of their annual membership survey, withrecommendations to increase membership. I alsocontributed to other ongoing projects such asmembership retention, Small-Medium Enterprisemember retention, and the AmCham weeklynewsletter.

Over the course of my internship, I had severalopportunities to apply the skills I acquired at SAIS,such as research and writing, as well as learn new,highly valuable skills such as business process mappingand data analysis. I also greatly benefited from thehigh-quality events that were populated with subject-matter experts from relevant industries. Overall, theinternship was a really rewarding experience and aidedboth my personal and professional development.

Each summer, students are sponsored to embark on exciting internships in Asia. See below for the internship experiences of Timothy White (Japan Studies, '16) and Ashwini Srinivas (Southeast Asia Studies, '17).

Timothy White with Alex Ramirez and John Gibson

Ashwini Srinivas with her coworkers at AmCham Singapore

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MEET YOUR PROFESSORS

Interview with Joshua White

What, in your view, are the biggest policychallenges facing the United States in SouthAsia?

The Trump administration faces three key challenges inSouth Asia. The first is choosing a path forward fordealing with what has become America’s longest war —the conflict in Afghanistan. Here there are no easyoptions, as the Taliban have steadily gained ground inrecent years. Withdrawing U.S. forces could lead to thecollapse of the state, and neither is there much appetitefor dramatically increasing U.S. presence. Theadministration must find a way to sustain our valuablecounter-terrorism platform, even if that means sinkingbillions of dollars a year into Afghanistan for theforeseeable future.

Second, the United States faces the challenge of how tosustain the very positive momentum in U.S.-Indiarelations. Both the George W. Bush and Obamaadministrations deepened U.S. engagement with India asa strategic investment, believing that India would, overthe coming decades, become an influential and like-minded partner to the United States. As President Trumpseems to take a rather transactional view ofrelationships, it’s not yet clear how much energy hisadministration will invest in a country like India thatpromises long-term benefits to the United States but isoften a difficult and frustrating negotiating partner.

Third, the United States does not yet have a coherent andwell-resourced response to China’s ambitious plans forSouth and Central Asia that have taken shape under itsBelt and Road Initiative. This is not to say that theUnited States should respond “in kind” with a focus onhuge infrastructure and energy projects. But countriesacross the region are eager to know what we — and ourpartners including Japan and India — are bringing to thetable to bolster regional connectivity and prosperity. TheUnited States, with its vibrant and innovative privatesector, has a good story to tell, but thus far has struggledto do so.

What is your advice to SAIS students who mightwant to pursue a career similar to yours?

For those who are interested in an international affairscareer that includes both scholarly research andgovernment service, there are two importantcomponents: travel is an indispensable experience, andwriting is an indispensable skill. Travel of course canprovide rich insight into culture and history. But it is alsoa great way to uncover important questions. I’m alwayssatisfied when I come back from a trip and have a noteb-

-ook replete with question marks — be they academicqueries or policy challenges that I didn’t know I faced.The other piece of advice that I always give students isto use their time in graduate school to hone theirwriting skills. Poor writers can land jobs in academiaand in government, but they rarely rise to the top. Goodwriters are always in demand.

What are you working on at the moment?

In addition to planning courses and South Asia events,I am responsible for advancing SAIS’s academicpartnerships in South Asia. We have recently revivedan old partnership with the Bandaranaike Centre forInternational Studies in Colombo, which is doing somefascinating work on Sri Lanka’s place in the widerIndo-Pacific. Johns Hopkins SAIS has a partnershipwith Pakistan’s National Defence University, and weare working to finalize an agreement with anotherleading university in Pakistan that would involvestudent and faculty exchanges and joint conferences.

As for my own research, I’m finishing a manuscript onIslamic political movements in Pakistan. In addition,I’m pleased to be working with Professor Dan Markeyon a collaborative project funded by the Foreign PolicyInstitute on “China and South Asia: A U.S.-ChinaAcademic Dialogue,” which will bring a number ofleading Chinese scholars to Washington this summer. Iam also beginning some research on the future of theU.S.-India-Japan security relationship, building off myexperience with this trilateral dialogue while I was atthe White House.

What are you reading right now?

Defeat is an Orphan: How Pakistan Lost the GreatSouth Asian War, by Myra McDonald — a highlyreadable examination of the India-Pakistancompetition, focusing on the decade between the 1998nuclear tests and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Poised for Partnership: Deepening India-JapanRelations in the Asian Century, edited by RohanMukherjee and Anthony Yazaki — a relatively thoroughedited volume that describes an increasingly importantbilateral relationship in Asia.

Joint Doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces — acautious, muddled, poorly-written treatise that(inadvertently) sheds light on the current state ofIndian defense planning.

SAIS Asia Programs interviewed two faculty members new to SAIS in Academic Year 2016-2017: Vikram Nehru, Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence in Southeast Asia Studies and Joshua White, Associate Professor of the Practice of

South Asia Studies. They discuss their professional backgrounds, their outlooks on Southeast Asia and South Asia, and some advice for SAIS students!

Associate Professor of the Practice of South Asia StudiesFellow, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies

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MEET YOUR PROFESSORS

Interview with Vikram NehruDistinguished Practitioner-in-ResidenceSoutheast Asia Studies

What, in your view, are the biggest challenges todevelopment in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia -- ten countries of varying size anddevelopment levels, and at different stages of nation andstate building – sits astride one of the world’s busiest sealanes, enjoys access to plentiful natural resources, andlies in close proximity to the world’s two giant countries– China and India. The region’s diversity, economicintegration, and strategic location not only drive Asia’srapid and resilient economic growth but also its biggestchallenges. The region's openness to trade and financialflows leave Southeast Asian economies vulnerable toglobal trade and financial shocks. Its strategic locationhas placed it at the epicenter of emerging geopoliticalrivalries with long-term security implications. And itsdiversity has made effective regional cooperation anuphill struggle.

Internally, most Southeast Asian countries contend withdeep social, political, and economic fault lines that pose athreat to political stability and sustainable development.No country exemplifies this better than Myanmar whichfaces complex social, political, and economic transitionsthat are interconnected at many levels. Like othercountries in the region, it must simultaneously establisha national identity to unify the country and strengthenstate capacity to deliver essential public goods andservices and provide the foundations for a stable,inclusive, and prosperous society.

How does your professional backgroundinfluence how and what you teach?

I spent most of my career with the World Bank where Iworked alongside developing country policymakers andpractitioners on challenging issues in different countries,political systems, and social settings. These experiences -- such as during the Indonesian debt crisis of 1998 --gave me an appreciation of how development policiesand programs are formulated and implemented in realtime, usually without the luxury of good data or well-functioning institutions. In most developing countrysituations, identifying what needs to be done is only partof the challenge; the other, perhaps more important partis identifying how, when, and by whom it should be donewhich requires a solid understanding of the country'shistory, politics, culture, and institutional capabilities.

So it's hardly surprising that the courses I teach at SAIStend to focus on development – whether it’s the politicaleconomy of Southeast Asian countries (a region Ispecialized in while at the World Bank and later at theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace) or thebroader course on “Topics in Growth and Development.”In these courses, I try not only to give students anunderstanding of the breadth and complexity ofdevelopment challenges, but also provide them powerfultools to analyze difficult development problems andidentify appropriate solutions.

What is your advice to SAIS students whomight want to pursue a career similar toyours?

Rather than presume to give students career advice, letme reflect on qualities in others that I have found mostvaluable in the course of my career. Perhaps my mostvaluable colleagues and counterparts were the oneswho brought sharp analytical tools to a problem. At onepoint in my career, for example, I had to confront thechallenge of debt sustainability in low incomecountries, and it was incisive economic analysis thathelped find an innovative way forward for lenders andborrowers alike. Investing time to acquire and sharpensuch analytical tools is a lifetime endeavor and its nevertoo early to start.

For economists, another valuable quality is the abilityto work in multi-disciplinary teams. Invitingperspectives from other disciplines and examiningissues through different prisms – sociological,anthropological, political, historical, scientific -- notonly enriches economic analysis and understanding butincreases the probability of finding successful waysforward. Perhaps for this reason I have always valuedcolleagues who see the big picture without losing sightof the details, the ones who connect dots that othersdon’t see, and link specific actions to broader strategy.They are the ones who combine depth with breadth –the prototypical renaissance intellect who reads widelyand brings context to analysis.

What are you working on at the moment?

Being new to SAIS and to teaching, much of my timeduring term is spent on developing course material,preparing lectures, and helping students withassignments. I have interspersed this with speakingassignments at other venues, writing for journals andmainstream media, and consultancies for multilateralfinancial institutions, bilateral aid agencies, anddeveloping country governments seeking help onspecific issues. I also expect to embark on a couple ofbook projects (on topics I would prefer not to divulge atthis point) for which I have been compiling material.

What are you reading right now?

When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in IndianPolitics by Milan Vaishnav -- an impressive empiricalanalysis of criminality in the Indian political systemand the reasons why it continues to flourish.

Return of a King: The Battle of Afghanistan, 1839-42 byWilliam Dalrymple -- a historical account of Britain'sdisastrous intervention in Afghanistan in the 19thCentury with important lessons for contemporaryexternal interventions in that country.

The Curse of Cash by Kenneth Rogoff -- which makes acompelling case for countries to transition to electronicpayment systems and with some interestingimplications for development strategies. 11


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!

Japan Studies MAChristina Banoub

Kaleb CopeJeremy Fuller

Jingyi GuoJi Won Kwon

Timothy WhiteMalcolm Whitehead

Cheng Zhang

Korea Studies MAWilliam Kim-Hummel

Inhyok KwonAaron Scott

Crystal Styron (minor)Channa Yu

South Asia Studies MAFaisal Hamid (minor)

Gautam MehtaSiddarth Ravishankar (minor)

Jahanara SaeedSadia Sarwar (minor)

South Asia Studies PhDKhalid Nadiri

Constantino Xavier

Southeast Asia Studies MACaitlin Coyle (minor)

Zachary HarrisNathaniel Ives

William Ozanick (minor)Samantha PowerAshwini SrinivasSanittawan Tan

Itt Thirarath

Southeast Asia Studies MIPPJeevan SinghDaniel Young

Me Me Hlaine Zan

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD RECIPIENTS:

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STUDENTS GRADUATING WITH HONORS:

Gautam MehtaChristian A. Herter Award

Siddarth RavishankarBoren Fellowship

Itt ThirarathInduction into Phi Beta Kappa

Gautam MehtaSouth Asia Studies

Jahanara SaeedSouth Asia Studies

Siddarth RavishankarSouth Asia Studies Minor

Questions? Contact [email protected] 12

letter from the director & associate director hopkins... · 2019-07-29 · asia programs...

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