Dr. Alfred Oehlers joined the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in March 2007. He obtained his doctorate in political economy from the University of Sydney and holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in economics from Macquarie University, Australia.
Dr. Oehlers is a specialist in the political economy of security, economic growth and development in the Indo-Pacific. Much of his teaching, research, and engagement relates to Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands and Antarctica. His work emphasizes current geopolitical and strategic contestation, especially the sources of U.S. deterrence and strength in economic power, demographic security, values and religion, hybrid warfare, and space security.
While at DKI APCSS, Dr. Oehlers served as the Program Manager for Transnational Security and Crisis Management from September 2009 to June 2011. In recognition of his superior service, he was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award in 2011.
His recent publications include:
- A Humanitarian Corridor for the Pacific?, Islands Business, April 6, 2020.
- COVID-19, Debt, and Strategic Competition, Security Nexus, April 17, 2020.
- COVID-19 and the ASEAN Chair Agenda: Vietnam’s Lost Year? Brunei’s too?, Security Nexus, April 24, 2020.
- Oceania’s Potential Role in Space Governance Development?, Security Nexus, May 13, 2020.
- Defense Economics: Time for a Paradigm Shift to Address Strategic Competition, Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, Volume 45, No. 3, 2020.
- Who Will Welcome Bougainville?, Islands Business, October 1, 2020.
- Religion in a Values-Based Approach to Strategic Competition, Security Nexus, October 14, 2020.
- Partnerships and Soft Power in Space, Security Nexus, October 22, 2020.
- Considering Technical Information Protection through an Evaluation of ASAT Technology in Japan, Security Nexus, December 1, 2020 (co-authored with Junichi Nishiyama).
- Understanding the New Era in Indo-Pacific Alliances and Partnerships, Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, Volume 47, Issue 3, 2022.
- Alliances and Partnerships: Moving strategic relationships to the next level, Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, Volume 49, Issue 1, March 2024.
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