Stephen Crowther

Stephen is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS. 

He has a BA in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick, an MSc in Political Science from Stockholm University and a further MSc in Asian Politics from SOAS. During his studies, he has written on a number of diverse topics, from US foreign policy, to populist parties in Europe and a wide range of global security issues. 

He previously worked at a research institute in Stockholm in Sweden focused on the Indo-Pacific, where he wrote pieces on topics such as Myanmar, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Maldives, West Papua and Bougainville. He assisted with organising conferences and numerous events in Stockholm that focused on a range of regional topics, including initiatives towards peace on the Korean peninsula and the rapidly changing nature of international affairs. This experience informed his second master’s degree, at SOAS, where he focused on the international relations of Asia, including the role of Japan and China in the region and farther afield, and the international relations of Southeast Asia. He wrote his master’s dissertation at SOAS on a similar topic to his PhD research project. 

He has travelled extensively throughout the Indo-Pacific, including lengthy periods in the Pacific Islands, East Asia and Southeast Asia. This has helped to inform his studies, and plays a large role in shaping the direction of his research across a broad array of regional topics. 

Prior to studying for his first master’s degree, Stephen worked in investment management in the City of London. This offered useful insights into global economic relations, including their connections with international affairs. Given the increasingly complex nature of global governance, the ability to assess both the economic and political facets of the modern world are of growing importance. 

Stephen is interested in the international relations of the Pacific Islands. Specifically, his research concerns Japan and China’s involvement in regional affairs, with reference to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific and Belt and Road Initiative policies. 

Pacific Islands geopolitics and geoeconomics are underappreciated facets of global affairs, which Stephen intends to address in his research project. The importance of infrastructure development to the Pacific Islands and the wider Indo-Pacific is a core research interest. The UK’s relations with the Pacific Islands are an additional area of interest.