Read more about our Contributors

Cheri Pong is a Hong Kong–based analyst specialising in international political economy, sanctions policy, and great-power competition. She holds an MPhil in Political Science and writes on economic statecraft, financial coercion, and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

David Saultry is an independent consultant specialising in economic security and critical minerals, previously advising on US-China strategic competition at the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dr Lupita Wijaya is a Research Fellow from La Trobe Centre for Global Security. Her research expertise lies in the intersection of information and maritime security, with a particular focus on the South China Sea. She is currently managing Southeast Asia Maritime Media Fellowship (formerly known as Southeast Asia Maritime Media Visits Project), supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Joy Dianne Gumatay is Senior Strategic Communications Officer with the Philippine Coast Guard. Alongside her work in maritime governance, she conducts independent research on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and inclusive peacebuilding in the context of maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, as well as regional cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

Lucy Pennington is a Naarm-based international affairs practitioner and researcher. She is a PhD candidate at Monash University, looking at how foreign policy is made on the diplomatic frontlines. Lucy has designed, implemented and evaluated major infrastructure, climate, public diplomacy, tourism, gender and water programs for DFAT (Australia), MFAT (New Zealand), the Asian Development Bank and UNHCR. She has worked on international development programs across the Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Her foreign policy commentary is featured in international policymaker-focused forums, including through @lucyfieldnotes on most platforms. She is a 2026 Euan Crone Asian Awareness Scholar (AIIA) and a Visiting Fellow at Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Safia Mansoor is PhD Scholar of International Relations at School of Integrated Social Sciences, University of Lahore. She has also served as Research Associate at the Maritime Centre of Excellence, Pakistan Navy War College Lahore. Her research area includes armament and disarmament, emerging military technologies, nuclear deterrence and strategic stability in South Asia.

Prachi Lokhande is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, Jawaharlal Nehru University and teaches International Relations at Hamdard Institute of International Studies, Jamia Hamdard. She is a UGC-JRF awardee in Defence and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Area Studies, and a Gold Medallist. She has previously held research positions at the Indian Council of World Affairs and the Centre for Air Power Studies. She is a Pacific Forum Young Leader and a fellow of the India-Europe Resilience Forum.

Muhammad Irfan Sadik is a researcher and currently serves as the Senior Foreign Policy Analyst at the Youth Policy Forum. He is also the Executive Director of Project Upokul, a coastal-based research organization in Bangladesh. Sadik holds an M.S.S. and B.S.S. from the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University. His research focuses on Intra-State Conflicts, Strategic Studies, International Security Studies, Disarmament, and International Arms Control and Maritime Affairs. Mr. Sadik can be reached at rajinsadik110@gmail.com.

Nguyen Thanh Long holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. His research interests focus on maritime security and international relations in the Asia-Pacific.

Dr Vera Spyrakou is an Adjunct Lecturer at Panteion University and a Visiting Fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on European integration, constitutionalism, and democratic governance in the European Union.