Foreign Policy, Defense, and Diplomacy

The shift in the balance of powers in the international and Asian arenas requires Asian countries to re-evaluate their foreign policy (including regional alliances, and membership in international organizations, regional and global), their defense policy, and their public diplomacy. Dr. Alon Levkowitz looks at international governmental organizations (IGOs) and the influence of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on shaping the policies of states in the region. In addition, he examines the change in regional alliances and the essential change in Japan’s defense policy in the face of regional threats. Dr. Michal Zelcer-Lavid explores China’s relations with other states in the region and with Middle Eastern countries, its policy towards minorities living in China, and the effect of the Chinese regime’s treatment of the Uyghur minority on the international arena. Dr. Zelcer-Lavid teaches a course dedicated to various approaches to researching ethnic conflicts, bringing case studies from the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Sri Lanka, and East Timor.