Dr. Kai Ostwald

Biography

Kai Ostwald is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed in the Department of Political Science and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. He serves as the Director of UBC’s Institute of Asian Research and is an Associate Editor for Southeast Asia at Pacific Affairs. His research focuses on political economy, governance, and development in Southeast Asia, with particular attention to democratization, ethnic politics, and Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Ostwald has a strong interest in Canadian foreign policy and international relations, especially concerning Southeast Asia. His work has been published in leading journals such as the American Political Science Review, Democratization, and the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal. Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, an Associate Senior Fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Penang Institute in Malaysia. He is actively involved in diplomatic dialogues and consulted for various organizations including the International Development Research Centre and the World Bank.

Research Interests