Research

My research examines the dynamics of energy geopolitics, security, diplomacy, and global governance, analysing how states manage strategic interdependencies, address geopolitical risks, and influence regional and international order through institutional and normative frameworks.

It is organised across three interrelated tiers, each contributing to a broader understanding of how states and institutions navigate complex security environments and shifting global orders.

1. Energy Geopolitics and Energy Security

My research centres on the geopolitical dimensions of energy and the security imperatives arising from states’ energy relations. It examines how energy flows, infrastructures, and interdependencies shape strategic alignments, foreign policy behaviour, and regional order. Particular focus is placed on pipeline politics, nuclear energy cooperation, and the securitisation of critical energy corridors. This work conceptualises energy not merely as a commodity but as a geopolitical instrument embedded within broader patterns of competition, influence, and vulnerability.

2. Geopolitical Risk and International Security

The second tier of my research examines the dynamic landscape of geopolitical risk, emphasising the strategic challenges arising from transnational threats and regional instability. This encompasses the analysis of cyber operations, terrorism, maritime disruptions, and hybrid conflict, particularly in relation to infrastructure protection and the stability of state systems. I am especially interested in how geopolitical tensions reshape security architectures and how states recalibrate their risk assessments and threat perceptions in response to emerging crises and evolving alignments.

3. Institutionalism, Norms, and Global Governance

The third tier of my research engages with institutionalist traditions in international relations to analyse how formal and informal institutional frameworks shape state behaviour, mitigate power asymmetries, and foster normative development. I investigate the roles of international organisations, diplomatic practices, and regional governance mechanisms in constructing legitimacy, authority, and compliance within the international system. Drawing on international political theory, this strand examines the processes through which norms are formed, contested, and institutionalised across bilateral, minilateral, and multilateral arenas.

Ongoing Research Projects

• Challenges for Japan and South Korea in Seeking Energy Cooperation Amid Sino-Russian Partnership in Northeast Asia (individual project)

• The Role of Sino–Russian Cooperation in the Northeast Asian Energy Regime (dissertation topic)