Kai Ostwald

Kai Ostwald is the HSBC Chair in Asian Research and an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed in the Department of Political Science and the School of Public Policy & Global Affairs. He serves as Director of UBC’s Institute of Asian Research and Associate Editor (Southeast Asia) for Pacific Affairs. His research focuses on Southeast Asia’s political economy, governance, and development, emphasizing democratization, ethnic politics, and Canada’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region. He has published in leading journals like the American Political Science Review and Canadian Foreign Policy Journal.

Dr. Ostwald holds research appointments as a Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Associate Senior Fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and Distinguished Fellow at the Penang Institute in Malaysia. His work bridges academia and policy, including consulting for the World Bank and participating in Track 1.5 diplomatic dialogues. His research is supported by grants from SSHRC, NSF, and IDRC.

Teaching and supervision include graduate courses on Southeast Asian politics and supervision of over 15 PhD/Master’s students focusing on political development in the region. His research themes coalesce around geopolitical dynamics, electoral systems, and the intersection of domestic and international politics.