Shyam Tekwani is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, where he focuses on the evolving nature of political violence, strategic influence, and regional security within the Indo-Pacific. His current work explores cognitive warfare, defense industrial cooperation, and the strategic realignments underway across South and Southeast Asia.

A former conflict journalist, Tekwani covered insurgencies, political crises, elections, and civil wars across the subcontinent. His years embedded with the Tamil Tigers during Sri Lanka’s civil war shaped a lifelong inquiry into the logic of insurgencies, the power of narrative, and the shifting character of warfare. His reporting remains a rare firsthand chronicle of one of the world’s most disciplined and lethal insurgencies. These frontline experiences continue to shape his research into asymmetric threats and the contested role of narrative, perception, and technology in shaping modern conflict.

Professor Tekwani’s academic work was among the earliest to explore the role of digital media in insurgent and terrorist movements. Over the past three decades, he has expanded his research to address broader strategic concerns, including defense industrial development, regional deterrence dynamics, and the geopolitical positioning of emerging powers in the Global South.

He has taught globally—across Europe, the United States, and the Indo-Pacific—contributing to executive education programs and strategic dialogue with military and civilian security professionals. His teaching and research emphasize interdisciplinary analysis and strategic foresight in a time of fluid alignments and technological disruption.

Professor Tekwani’s recent publications reflect this broadened scope. These include Strategic Smallness in South Asia: Leveraging Influence Among Giants (2025), India’s Rise in the Indo-Pacific: Strategic Autonomy in Action (2025), and Deterrence Needs a Factory: Fixing the U.S.–India Industrial Gap (2025). His earlier works remain foundational to the study of online terrorism, insurgent networks, and post-conflict transitions in South Asia.

Tekwani earned his B.A. (Honors) in History and Comparative Religion from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, and an M.F.A. in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore.


Professor Tekwani’s Publications:

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