Members
EMANUEL YI PASTREICH, PH.D.
President
Emanuel Pastreich founded The Asia Institute in 2007 while serving as advisor to the Governor of Chungnam Provence and conducting research on technology policy in Daejeon, Korea. He has led numerous research projects at Asia Institute on technology, the environment, international relations with a focus on Northeast Asia, and culture.
While in Daejeon, Pastreich helped to found the Daejeon Green Growth Forum, a group of researchers at major institutes dedicated to encouraging environmentally friendly policies in the city of Daejeon and Korea as a whole. The Daejeon Green Growth Forum was made an official NGO working closely with the Daejeon Metropolitan City and also collaborated with the 3E Forum of Tsukuba, Japan.
Pastreich has conducted research projects on technology and its implications for society at Asia Institute with the Korea Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Korea Research Institute for Standards and Science, the Korea Research Institute for Geoscience and Materials, Seoul National University, Center for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, as well as Riken in Japan and Tsinghua University in China. In 2010, Pastreich co-founded the Global Convergence Forum, an association of research institutes dedicated to international collaboration in technology convergence. The Global Convergence Forum was later incorporated and works with research institutes on the future prospects for the convergence of technologies.
Orginally a professor of Japanese studies at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Pastreich has also taught at University of Pennsylvania, Kyung Hee University, and Korea University. He has published numerous books on culture, politics, economics and international relations in English, Chinese, Japanese, French and Korean.
Emanuel Pastreich started his campaign as independent candidate for president of the United States in 2020 and was one of two official candidates in the Green Party US in 2023. He is currently preparing his candidacy for the 2028 presidential election. Pastreich’s political writings can be read at emanuelpastreich28.asia.
Senior Associates
Gwan Young Chung (정관영)
Director
The Asia Institute / Korea
A native of Samgak Village in Gongju, Chungnam Province, Korea, Professor Chung studied theology, Eastern philosophy and social welfare policy before studying social welfare policy in Germany. He taught at Sungsil University, Hyeiosung University, Luther University, and Wongwang Digital University from 2006-2022.
In addition to his work as director of the Asia Institute Korea in Daejeon, Professor Chung serves also as director of the Jisan Dowon Academy located at Myogwang sa Temple in Cheongyang in Chungnam Province.
Dr. Chung started Jisan Dowon TV in 2019 to address current politics, culture, and society while considering Korea’s rich Daoist and Confucian tradition.
Professor Chung takes a strong interest in political reform in Korea and has dedicated himself to a “mandate of heaven reform of the nation” drawing on Korea’s rich political philosophy. The tradition of the Sansin (mountain gods) is critical to that effort. He is deeply committed to political reform, freedom, and transformation of institutions. He hopes to help achieve a unified democratic Korean nation through his work.
Malik Ayub Sumbal
Senior Associate
Malik Ayub Sumbal is a geopolitical analyst, television commentator, and award-winning journalist with more than 17 years of professional experience working with leading media outlets. He has won the Syracuse University Mirror Award for excellence in reporting in 2012 conferred by the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University.
Malik launched the Eurasia Media Network with Eurasia Diary & The Caspian Times, two main multimedia newspapers and production houses located in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has also worked with Gulf News, Al Jazeera, Free Speech Radio News (FSRN), Transterra Media, The Diplomat, Daily Sabah, Asia Times Online, Asia Calling Radio, The Foreigner, iMediaEthics and other journals.
He is currently writing a book on Azerbaijan’s political system and governance.
Layne Hartsell, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Director 3E Program
The Asia Institute / Tokyo/Berlin
Layne Hartsell, USA (雷恩∙哈特塞尔 – 마이클 레인 핫셀) – 3E: Energy, Economy, Environment – affiliations: research professor at the Center for Science, Technology, and Society, Department of Philosophy, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and at the Asia Institute in Berlin/Tokyo. Former assistant professor, convergence studies, Sookmyung Women’s University and Research Institute for Asian Women – Asia-Pacific Women’s Information Network Center in Seoul. Research professor, Sungkyunkwan University and the Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Seoul/Suwon. Lecturer at Mahidol University, Siriraj Medical Center, Department of Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Bangkok. Researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville.
Alexander Krabbe, M.D.
Director of Asia Institute Berlin
Dr. Krabbe is a medical professional deeply committed to peace and a new system for human cooperation globally in science.
Wanassanant Kunphon, M.D.
Director of Asia Institute, Thailand
Wanassanant graduated master’s degrees in philosophy from Chiang Mai University and Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She is a researcher and expert in Eastern philosophy, Chinese philosophy and Japanese philosophy, including Aesthetic. She is also a special lecturer for universities in Thailand.
Currently, she stays in Chiang Mai, Thailand and conducts research that related to philosophy and the environmental issues.
Ararat Kostanian
Expert on Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations
He holds two MA’s from Yerevan Hrachia Acharyan University and Australian National University (ANU) in International Relations. He worked as an expert at Turkish department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and currently works as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Science of Armenia. He published essays and articles on Political Islam, Turkey, and the Syrian War, on Armenian foreign policy, the emergence of multipolar world and the concept of middle powers in IR. A co-author of the “Handbook of Dialogue and Development India-China-EU” book published in India. He participated in several international academic conferences, seminars and discussions in Armenia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal and India. He writes for academic centres, media portals and newspapers in Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Canada. He is a commentator on TV channels in Armenia, Lebanon, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Russia. Ararat fluently speaks in Armenian, Arabic, Turkish and English. Nominated By Harvard Kennedy School for International Young Leaders program, Research Fellow at Usanas Foundation, a scholar member at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Currently, he is pursuing a doctoral degree at the Indonesian International Islamic University on interfaith relations and social cohesion.
DR. LAKHVINDER SINGH
Director Peace & Security Studies
Dr. Lakhvinder Singh, an esteemed and accomplished scholar, possesses a distinguished academic and professional background that warrants rigorous scholarly examination. Dr. Singh currently holds the esteemed position of Chairman at the India-Korea Business Forum in Seoul, a role that exemplifies his leadership in fostering economic and commercial ties between India and Korea. Concurrently, he serves as the Director for Peace and Security Studies at the Asia Institute, signifying his scholarly expertise in the realm of peace and security studies.
Dr. Singh’s academic journey is distinguished by the attainment of two illustrious doctoral degrees. His initial doctorate, conferred by Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, signifies his sagacity in the domain of international politics, reaffirming his proficiency in global political affairs and international relations. His subsequent doctorate, acquired from Sungkyunwhan University in Seoul, Korea, attests to his profound acumen in Korean Studies, underscoring his deep understanding of Korean culture and historical nuances.
Of particular note is Dr. Singh’s distinction as the recipient of a Senior Fellowship from Harvard University, a recognition that underscores his specialized focus on the Practice of Trade Policy in the United States. This academic honor enriches his grasp of international trade dynamics and policy intricacies.
His role as Managing Editor at the Asia-Pacific Business and Technology Report underscores his active involvement in current developments in the spheres of commerce and technology within the Asia-Pacific region.
Yo Kawanaka
Researcher
Yo Kawanaka is a peace activist and author in Japan who started her activities in the protests against the response to the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
She joined the Asia Institute in 2017 and works there on environmental issues, peace and security, and mental health issues.
Hiroki Yajima
Senior Researcher
Hiroki Yajima serves as senior researcher at Asia Institute.
He has extensive experience in communication, journalism, and media-government relations in East Asia, primarily working for NHK Broadcast Corporation in Japan.
He is currently conducting research on North Korea’s nuclear development, with a focus on the history of the KEDO program and the 1994 Geneva agreement with the United States and DPRK for normalization of relations. In that capacity, he visited North Korea three times for journalistic investigation.
He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the school of arts and sciences of the University of Tokyo.
Daniel Garrett
Senior Associate
Daniel Garrett is a retired U.S. Department of State diplomat. His areas of expertise include human rights, trafficking in persons, Himalayan regional issues, climate change and international transboundary water issues.
He is currently working to facilitate the accelerated emergence of innovative ideas and technologies that make it possible for human civilizations and their infrastructures to be seamlessly interwoven in a productive manner into the earth systems which sustain and support them.
Shi Yuefeng
Researcher
Shi Yuefeng is a passionate youth leader active in China and in South Korea. Currently, Shi Yuefeng serves as a researcher at the Asia Institute and as planning director at the SDP (Sustainable Development Program) for Young Global Leaders. SDP is affiliated with the Ban Ki-moon Center for Sustainable Development at Yonsei University, from which he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.I.S. in Chinese Studies.
Yuefeng has a wide range of interests including international relations, peace studies, Chinese politics, international organizations, and sustainable development. His current research focuses on the development of Chinese think tanks and case studies concerning sustainable development.
Pearl Pont Pont Phyu
Senior Associate, Southeast Asia Program
Ms. Phyu is an expert in education, health policy, and humanitarian assistance fields. She serves as a senior language and cultural instructor at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) teaching foreign service officers. Her research concerned the non-formal education and capacity building in the poorest communities of Burma.
She was awarded an ASEAN Scholarship in 2000 to study public policy at the National University of Singapore her assignment to oversee the UNESCO Project “Education for men, women and children in the poorest community of Burma.”
She also served underprivileged young adult peoples from Burma, including students, young scholars, activists and academic professionals, when she worked at the Public Affairs Section of US Embassy Burma after she received her master’s degree, and well as taking the lead to re-establish the Fulbright Scholarship Exchange Program for Burma in 2007. She worked as a journalist for a decade, including at Voice of America (VOA).
Riyad Moosoody
Researcher in Global Security
Riyad Moosoody conducts research on the role of the United States on the Korean Peninsula with a focus of the impact of military conflict on veterans. He has researched the historiography of the Korean War. His areas of study include the Korean reunification, the Cold War and the social, political and economic impacts of the Korean War on several countries across the world. As a researcher at the Asia Institute, he devotes his efforts to considering the ongoing impact of the Korean War on geopoltics and also what strategies may be pursued for future reunification.
Born in Mauritius, Riyad Moosoody studied Law at the University of Strasbourg and U.S. History at the University of Bordeaux and the University of California Santa Barbara. He is fluent in both English and French. He is a member of the War Studies department at Bordeaux University. He has received fellowships from The American Institute and the French Ministry of Defence to pursue his PhD research on the Korean War.
William Wolff
Researcher
Ethics in Education Program
William Wolff has extensive experience in education in China, Japan, Korea and the United States and takes a deep interest in contemporary education practice and policy in East Asia and around the world.
He is currently a researcher at the Asia Institute’s ethics in education program where he is preparing a broad range of policy related proposals intended to return education to its original ethical foundations in the context of a rapidly changing contemporary society.
