Eitan Oren

Dr. Eitan Oren serves as Lecturer in War Studies Education at the Department of War Studies, King's College London, which is part of the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy and School of Security Studies. His academic journey began with undergraduate studies in East Asian studies at Tel Aviv University, followed by doctoral research at the University of Tokyo where he earned his PhD in International Relations with a dissertation examining Japanese threat perceptions during and after the Cold War.

• PhD in International Relations, University of Tokyo
• East Asian Studies, Tel Aviv University
• Background in Japanese language and culture

Oren's research sits at the critical intersection of international security and cognitive science, focusing on how different individuals perceive security threats through the lens of human cognition. His work employs quantitative and qualitative text analysis methods while drawing on insights from conceptual semantics (Ray Jackendoff, Steven Pinker), philosophy of mind (Daniel Dennett), and prominent IR scholars (Janice G. Stein, Robert Jervis, Richard Ned Lebow). His current research investigates how people infer the intensity of external security threats by relying on fundamental cognitive building blocks including space, time, and causality.

His publication record reveals a consistent focus on Japanese security policy and threat perception, with significant contributions to understanding how Japanese political elites and citizens process security challenges. His work spans Cold War-era threat perceptions through contemporary security concerns under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's administration, with particular attention to how threat narratives are constructed and communicated. Oren has developed a distinctive approach that bridges traditional international relations scholarship with cognitive science, offering fresh insights into the micro-foundations of security decision-making.

• Member of International Studies Association (ISA)
• Member of British International Studies Association (BISA)
• Research funded by Government of Japan
• Research funded by Gerda Henkel Foundation's Special Programme Security, Society and State
• Research funded by International Studies Association

Oren actively contributes to the Research Centre in International Relations (RCIR) at King's College London and is affiliated with the Future Threats Lab, a collaborative research space addressing global threats through a human-centered approach. His teaching portfolio includes International Relations Theory, War and Strategy in East Asia, Japan and East Asian Security, and War and International Order, reflecting his deep expertise in both theoretical frameworks and regional security dynamics. His upcoming research directions explore the utility of introspection and meditation as methods for generating knowledge about international relations, potentially opening new methodological pathways in the field.