Nicholas Chan

Nicholas Chan is a Research Fellow (Asian Security) at the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), Australian National University. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Asian Studies from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. His work focuses on religion-politics intersections, particularly in Malaysia, addressing topics like millenarianism in extremism, social media's role in political dynamics, and ontological security frameworks.

Key research themes include:

• Islam and counter-terrorism policies
• Right-wing populism and social media
• Decolonial rhetoric appropriation
• Malaysian identity politics

Publications span journals such as Critical Asian Studies, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, and TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia. He co-led a Meta-funded study on misinformation and polarization in Malaysia's far-right movements. His doctoral research analyzed Malaysia's counter-terrorism strategies' religious dimensions.

Professional affiliations include the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute and Penang Institute. Awards include the Rajabali Jumabhoy Foundation Gold Medal. Current projects explore majoritarianism's evolution and the interplay between decolonial narratives and contemporary extremism.