Jeffrey Ordaniel

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Assistant Professor of International Studies, Tokyo International University

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Non-resident Director of Maritime Programs, Pacific Forum International, Honolulu, Hawaii

Ph.D. in International Relations (’17), Security and International Studies Program (SISP)

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Please tell us about your career path so far.

I started working for Pacific Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii as a research fellow in 2016, soon after my Japanese MEXT scholarship ended. Pacific Forum is an American foreign policy research institute focused on Asia. So it was a perfect organization for me to continue my research. I finally finished writing my dissertation in the Fall of 2017. I continued to work and live in the US, until I found a pathway to return to Japan, in March 2019.

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I was hired by Tokyo International University as Assistant Professor of International Security Studies. At the same time, I kept my affiliation with Pacific Forum as non-resident Adjunct Fellow, and since January 2020, as Director of Maritime Programs, which I fulfill in a non-resident capacity. Being in academia as a professor, and in the think tank world, allows me to do two things at once: deepen theoretical understanding of how the world works, and contribute to policy.

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What are your current research interests and what got you interested? And what excites you about your work and what do you want to achieve with your research?

My teaching and research revolve around maritime security and ocean governance, ASEAN regionalism, and broadly, US alliances and engagements in the Indo-Pacific.

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First, I am really interested in maritime security in Asia. Almost every body of water in this part of the world – from the South China Sea to the Sea of Japan, and from the Yellow Sea to the Bay Bengal – is contested. That makes maritime security a really interesting field of International Relations to study. Second, I am from Southeast Asia, a dynamic maritime region that has become the barometer of what’s ahead in the 21^st century international order. So it is but natural for me to be interested in the international affairs of that region. And third, Asia is at a tipping point. The choice is not between China and the United States. Rather, the choice is on what kind of principles and rules we want our region to be governed with. This made me interested in looking at US alliances and engagements in the Indo-Pacific. I think the future regional order will no longer be decided in Washington or in Beijing, alone but also, if not more importantly, in places like Manila, Hanoi, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Jakarta, on what principles they will eventually uphold, and whose/what kind of values, they will embrace.

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You are also serving as non-resident Director of Maritime Programs at Pacific Forum International. Please tell us about the institute and your main roles and responsibilities there?

Pacific Forum is an American foreign policy and defense research institute focused on Asia. It was founded in 1975 by US Navy RADM Joe Vasey, a World War II veteran. Adm. Vasey was onboard a diesel submarine that was being hunted by a Japanese destroyer and running out of air. They were surfacing up to essentially try to fight their way out of this very dangerous situation. It was then when Adm. Vasey thought that if he would survive the ordeal, that he was going to, some day, “find a better way” of settling international disputes and problems, than shooting at one another. So he founded Pacific Forum on that idea. Many decades later, Pacific Forum, continues to “find a better way,” through rigorous research, in-depth and contextual analyses and frank dialogues undertaken with the region’s leaders in academia, public policy and industry.

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I am currently serving as non-resident Adjunct Fellow and Director of Maritime Programs. In this capacity, I spearhead research and dialogues related to maritime security in the region. And since this is a new program, I am also in-charge of fundraising to ensure the long-term sustainability of our work.

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What are your professional goals for the next five to ten years?

In the next 5-10 years, I continue to see myself essentially doing the same things. I am happy where I am at, now. Perhaps, I will get tenure, and conduct more valuable research, while doing more with Pacific Forum in trying to promote a peaceful, equitable and rules-based maritime order in the region.

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What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work?

Biggest challenge is always funding, be it in academia or think tank. I think in the past year and a half, I spent more time writing funding and grant applications than actual research. This is the biggest challenge. Now I am managing several research funds and grants, which I hope can result in doing more actual work.

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What led you to GRIPS? How has your experience at GRIPS prepared you for future endeavors?

I have always been interested in the intersection of theory and policy. I think a good theory has policy relevance. And a sound public policy has solid academic/theoretical basis. GRIPS was a natural choice for me. Also, I really wanted to live and work in Tokyo. While at GRIPS, I had enough freedom to pursue any research endeavor, while also having many opportunities to further my foundational knowledge of international affairs and public policy.

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You have been living away from your home country for quite some time. What do you like about living in Japan? And what you miss about the Philippines?

Japan is a high-trust society, and that is what I like the most living here. I have very little worries in terms of personal safety, health dangers from food, etc. That has changed a little bit of course, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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I miss the food and my family back home.

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How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life? And what is your favorite thing to do when you are not working??

Pre-COVID19, I used to hangout with friends for drinks almost every weekend. Also, the nature of my work forced me to travel overseas at least once every two months for research, and track II strategic dialogues, so I got to enjoy the perks of checking out new places, cultural and historical sights and restaurants, from time to time, in addition to meeting new people. So there was work-life balance. Post-pandemic, I am just staying at home. And from next week, I will adopt a Japanese Spitz!

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If you could give one piece of advice to anyone considering studying at GRIPS what would it be?

For those considering GRIPS: just do it! Apply!

For those about to begin their journey at GRIPS: please immerse yourself in the local culture, events and people. GRIPS can be like a bubble in the middle of Tokyo. So it may be a challenge to go out there and explore considering the language barrier and cost. But there’s more to life in Tokyo and Japan, than just your studies at GRIPS!

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