Ian Seow Cheng Wei

I am a first-year Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) student in International Relations at the University of Oxford. My research interests focus broadly on China's foreign and security policies, Southeast Asian regionalism, and strategic and security affairs. Prior to coming to Oxford, I attained a Bachelor of Social Sciences (First Class Honours) in Public Policy and Global Affairs from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. I also worked as a research assistant at NTU and as a research intern at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), where I researched Singapore's foreign policy, ASEAN regionalism, and Chinese foreign policy. These research experiences were crucial in informing my decision to pursue an MPhil at Oxford, as I seek to share my knowledge about Southeast Asia and learn from peers from around the world.

My current dissertation focuses on Southeast Asian states' joint military exercises with China. I aim to understand why Southeast Asian states conduct joint military exercises with China despite concerns about China's growing regional strategic and political influence. This research will significantly contribute to understanding the role of joint military exercises as a tool of a state's foreign policy, as military exercises are high profile events that can send strong signals about a state's alignment patterns and security priorities.

I have also published articles and commentaries on Chinese foreign policy and ASEAN in top magazines and commentaries such as The Diplomat, and RSIS Commentaries.