Evan Laksmana

Evan leads the Institute’s Southeast Asian Security and Defence research programme. His research expertise is in defence diplomacy, military transformation, civil–military relations, and Southeast Asian defence policies and security challenges. He also edits the IISS Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment.

Prior to joining the IISS, Evan held senior research positions at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has also held non-resident fellowships and research positions with Carnegie China, Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the National Bureau of Asian Research, Sydney University, German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

His research has appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals, and he has written for various regional and global media outlets. He has co-written and co-edited books and special issue journals on Indonesian military policies and Southeast Asian security affairs. He has also contributed research to global policy research institutions and consulted for various international organizations and government agencies.

He has taught international security policy and given lectures to universities and professional military education institutions in Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. He earned his doctorate from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University as a Fulbright Presidential Scholar. He also holds a MS in strategic studies from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

His expertise includes Southeast Asian defense policies, civil-military relations, military transformation, defense-industrial development, and maritime security.