PhD Student Profiles
Please click on the candidate’s name to view the profile.
ANG CHIN PIN ERIC
Education: BSc – Life Sciences with a Concentration in Biology, National University of Singapore, MSc – International Relations, RSIS
Thesis topic: Strong political will and avoidance of economic loss – Essential factors to Successfully Counter Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in Southeast Asia (SEA)?
Research interests:
- MARSEC issues in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Email: [email protected]
YUSLIKHA KUSUMA WARDHANI
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia, Master of Science in Applied Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Thesis topic: Comparing the Psychological Impact of Incarceration on Male and Female Terrorist Convicts: Implications for Post-Prison Adjustment in Indonesia
Research interests: Terrorism in Indonesia, Deradicalisation in Indonesia, Rehabilitation and re-integration of Terrorist convicts in Indonesia
GU BIN
Education: LLB, China University of Mining and Technology; MSW, the University of Hong Kong; MSc, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU
Thesis topic: Understanding the Policy Shift in China’s Foreign Aid
Research interests: Foreign Aid; China’s Foreign Policy; Soft Power; Cultural Diplomacy; Non-traditional Security Issues
Email: [email protected]
KONG GONGMULAN
Education: BBA (Macau University of Science and Technology); MSC (University College London)
Thesis topic: How Corporate Community Involvement Affects Perceptions of China: An Empirical Study of Chinese Multinational Corporations in Southeast Asia
Research interests: International Political Economy, Chinese Economic Diplomacy, Overseas Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility
Email: [email protected]
HU XINYUE
Education: BSc, Nanyang Technological University (NTU); MSc, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU
Thesis topic: Beyond Coercion: Resilience of Semiconductor Multinational Corporations to U.S. Weaponized Interdependence
Research Interest: Economic Statecraft, Corporate Diplomacy, State Business Relations, Technology Policy
Email: [email protected]
XING JIAYING
Education: BL – International Politics (International Relations), Jinan University, MA – International Relations (Warwick-NTU Double Masters), University of Warwick, MSc – Asian Studies (Warwick-NTU Double Masters), RSIS
Thesis topic: Understanding China’s Economic Statecraft in International Politics
Research interests:
- International Relations
- Chinese Foreign Policy
- China’s Economic Statecraft
- Sino-US Relations
- China’s Relations with Asia
Major Publications
- Journal articles:
Xing, Jiaying. “Informal or Formal? A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of China’s Two-Tiered Sanctions Policy.” Chinese Political Science Review. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-025-00307-0.
Xing, Jiaying, and Mingjiang Li. “Moving to Formality and Openness? An Analysis of China’s New Two-Tiered Sanctions Policy.” China Review 23, no.1 (2023): 377-406.
- Policy reports
Xing, Jiaying. “China’s New Sanctions Policy: Characteristics, Rationales and Policy Implications.” RSIS Policy Report, May 8, 2025. https://rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/chinas-new-sanctions-policy-characteristics-rationales-and-policy-implications/.
Email: [email protected]
PONG SOON WU
Education:
- MSS (Nanyang Centre for Public Administration – Nanyang Technological University)
Thesis topic:
- The Ideational Catalysts for Small States in the Global War for Talent
Research interests:
- International Political Economy
- U.S.-China Relations
- Regionalism and ASEAN
- Talent Policy
Email: [email protected]
SOW YI WEN
Education: B.A.(Hons) (Chinese Studies, University Tunku Abdul Rahman); Master of Law (International Relations, Nanjing University); Msc (International Relations, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies-Nanyang Technological University)
Thesis topic: The Soft Power Contest of China and Taiwan for Winning The Hearts of Malaysian Chinese
Research interests: Overseas Chinese Studies; Soft Power; Cross-Strait Relations; Foreign Policy and Politics of Malaysia; South China Sea
Email: [email protected]
JAMIL A GHANI
Education: Master of International Politics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Thesis topic: Economic Gain for Security Pain: Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in ASEAN Resource Rich-Countries
Research interests: https://www.isis.org.my/author/jamil/
- Malaysian foreign and national policies, culture and politics in contemporary Malaysia, and the impact of Chinese foreign direct investments in ASEAN resource-rich countries.
- He has worked as a regulator in the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC) and the Malaysian Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC).
- As a former National Key Economic Area (NKEA) facilitator for the oil, gas and energy Performance and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) lab, he has extensive experience in public-private partnerships and was involved in the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petrochemical Complex.
- Jamil holds a Master of International Politics from the University of Melbourne.
Email: [email protected]
HERNANDEZ SHERLYN MAE FELICIANO
Education:
- Master in International Studies (University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines)
- AB Major in Political Science, Cum Laude (De La Salle University – Manila, Philippines)
Thesis Topic:
- The Personal is Regional: Feminist International Relations in Southeast Asia
Research Interests:
- Feminist International Relations
- Southeast Asian Studies
- Critical Security Studies
- The Politics of Communication
- Art and International Relations
Email: [email protected]
YAO BOWEN
Education: NTU (Bachelor); NUS LKYSPP (Master)
Thesis topic: Dances with a Giant: A Novel Theory of Hedging under Strategic Certainty
Research interests: IR theories; diplomatic history; Chinese and SE Asian foreign policies
Email: [email protected]
NODIRBEK SOLIEV
Education: LL.B. and LL.M. (University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent); M.Sc. (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Thesis topic: Examining the Phenomenon of Fundamentalism Within Segments of Uzbek Immigrant Communities Abroad
Research interests:
- Terrorist Propaganda/Strategies and Counterterrorism
- Politico-Religious Ideologies and Fundamentalism
- Transnational Diasporas, Minority Communities, and Radicalisation
- Deradicalisation and Reintegration Policy Approaches
- Irregular Warfare
Email: [email protected]
DIANDRA MEGAPUTRI MENGKO
Education: B. Political Science (International Relations, Parahyangan Chatolic University); MSc (Defence Management, Indonesian Defence University affiliated with Cranfield University)
Thesis Title: Parliamentary Oversight and Intelligence Reform in the Post Reformasi Indonesia
Research Interest:
- Security Sector Reform in Indonesia
- Intelligence Studies
- Civil-Military Relations
Email: [email protected]
CHAN HIANG WEI ELGIN
Education: BSc (Hons) (Rutgers University – New Brunswick); MA (Columbia University); MSc (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies – Nanyang Technological University)
Thesis Title: Renminbi Internationalization on China’s Political Power: A Regime Type, and Country Income Level Analysis
Research Interest:
- International Political Economy
- Comparative Political Economy
- International Finance Institutions
- Global Financial Architecture
Email: [email protected]
YANG BINYI
Education: BA (Zhejiang University); MA (The Chinese University of Hongkong, Shenzhen)
Thesis Title: Technology Policy and Great Power Competitions
Research Interest:
- U.S.-China Technology Competition
- U.S. Foreign Policy
- China’s Industrial Policy
Email: [email protected]
KOLANO JASMINE ASHLEY
Education: BA (Azusa Pacific University); MA (University of Southern California)
Thesis Title:Is the Best Yet to Come? Gen XYZ Support for Israel in a Multireligious Context
Research Interest:
- Israel-Singapore Relations
- Singaporean Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic Christianity
- Philosemitism
- Public Diplomacy
- Track 1.5 Diplomacy
Email: [email protected]
WANG QIYUE
Education: BA (Communication University of China); MA (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Thesis Title: Winning hearts and minds in Southeast Asia: Understanding the soft power approach in Chinese foreign policy
Research Interest:
- Media and Politics
- Global Communication in International Relations
- Chinese Nationalism
Email: [email protected]
SHEIKH SAQIB MUNEER
Education: Masters in Communication (Purdue University)
Thesis Title: Exploring Political Identity Formation Among Stateless Rohingya
Research Interest:
- Statelessness and human rights
- Transnational social movements
- Political Identity
- Conflict Resolution
Email: [email protected]
ZIYAUDEEN AHMED BIN SIRAJUDDEEN
Education: BA (Al-Azhar University, Cairo); MSc (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies-Nanyang Technological University)
Thesis Title: Religious Extremism in India and its Influence on the Diaspora
Research Interest:
- Islam (Theology and Shariah) and Inter-religious Relations
- Religious violence and Islamist Extremism
- Counterterrorism and De-Radicalisation
Email: [email protected]
GERE CLIFFORD JAMES
Education: BA (UCLA); MS (Thunderbird); MA (John Hopkins)
Thesis Title: Suicide Bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines: A Comparative Case Study of Salafi Jihadi Organizations and Individuals
Research Interest:
- Terrorist Organizations and Strategies
- Islamic State and Al-Qaeda
- Counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency
- Countering Foreign Influence Operations
- Asymmetric Warfare
Email: [email protected]
HINOJALES MARTHE MEMORACION
Education: BS Economics (University of the Philippines); MSc Finance (University of the Philippines)
Thesis Title: The Politics of Disaster Risk Financing in ASEAN
Research Interest:
- Disaster Risk Finance / Climate Finance
- Regional Integration and Cooperation
- Early Warnings Systems
- Debt Sustainability
Email: [email protected]
