TEACHING

Teaching Statement

I strive to serve as a “lighthouse” in students’ intellectual journeys.

Much like a lighthouse that offers orientation without prescribing a fixed path, I aim to provide guidance and support as students develop the intellectual independence necessary to pursue their own scholarly and professional goals.

Here’s my teaching statement: [Click]

Courses

I teach two courses on international security at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

[Fall 2026] International Security: Theory and Evidence

This course examines international security by exploring key theories and the empirical evidence on major topics in the field. It begins with core concepts, levels of analysis, and major research approaches that provide a foundation for scientific inquiry. Building on this, the course covers central debates, including the causes, dynamics, and consequences of war; the role of domestic politics, leaders, and public opinion; and alliance and nuclear politics. It also examines emerging areas of research, including emerging technologies, post-conflict peacebuilding, and international migration. Throughout the course, students will apply theoretical frameworks to contemporary international security issues and real-world policy challenges.

[Fall 2026 Syllabus]

[Fall 2026 Office Hours Signup]

[Spring 2027] Evidence-Based Policymaking in International Security: From Problem Diagnosis to Policy Intervention

Good intentions do not guarantee good policy. This course trains future policy leaders in Asia and beyond to diagnose real-world security problems and design effective policies grounded in scientific evidence. After learning the foundations of randomized controlled trials and causal inference, students examine major policy challenges—including war, political violence, peacekeeping, refugee integration, foreign aid, nuclear threats, and violent extremism—and investigate why policies succeed, fail, or generate unintended consequences across different political and institutional contexts. By linking problem diagnosis, causal mechanisms, policy design, and evaluation, students will learn to translate evidence into rigorous, feasible, and context-sensitive policy designs that can address some of today’s most pressing security challenges.

Course Evaluations

[NYU 2023 Fall] International Politics

• Evaluation Results