“The rise of China has generated intense debates on whether (or how much) it will seek regional hegemony and challenge the existing international order. Where are the potential sources of disorder and how should other countries strategize and react? These are core issues that scholars and policy practitioners are trying to grapple with as they think about a possible shift from a post-WWII order to a multipolar order.”
At a time when questions of power, security, and global order are becoming increasingly urgent, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Alex Yu-Ting Lin to the SPPGA faculty. Specializing in international security and U.S.-China relations, Prof. Lin brings expertise on security affairs in the Indo-Pacific.
Prof. Lin was previously Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Director at the University of Notre Dame’s International Security Center, where he helped direct its Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship in Grand Strategy. He has also held fellowships at the George Washington University and Harvard University. He received his PhD in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southern California, and MA and BA in Political Science from UBC.
We spoke with Prof. Lin about what brought him back to UBC, what drives his research, and what students can expect in the classroom:
What drew you to UBC and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs?
UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs is a vibrant intellectual community that engages with some of the most pressing global challenges of our time. I appreciate the critical mass of researchers who are interested in producing work that is relevant for policy, but especially on issues related to Asia. Finally, at a personal level, it is rewarding to return to my undergraduate alma mater to “pay things forward”.
Your research focuses on the causes and strategies of revisionism, with a focus on US-China relations and Asian security. What gravitates you toward these issues? What drives your research?
Asia is one of the most dynamic and strategically important regions in the world. In this context, the rise of China has generated intense debates on whether (or how much) it will seek regional hegemony and challenge the existing international order. Where are the potential sources of disorder and how should other countries strategize and react? These are core issues that scholars and policy practitioners are trying to grapple with as they think about a possible shift from a post-WWII order to a multipolar order. In my view, good research should be driven by theoretically-informed arguments about pressing policy issues, backed up by carefully-researched empirical evidence. That is the standard that I strive for as I work on issues related to US-China relations and Asian security.
You’ll be teaching MPPGA courses on the topics of Domestic and Global Policy Processes (PPGA 505), as well as Emerging Powers (PPGA 528). Can you tell us a little bit about your teaching philosophy and what you hope students will take away from these courses?
In PPGA 505, I will focus more on the conceptual toolkits with which students might use to understand the drivers of international politics and policy processes that underpin macro-level trends in the world. In PPGA 528, I will – building on my own research interests – focus on the policy challenges that emerging powers present to the current order, especially in security affairs.
In general, my teaching philosophy is underpinned by two pillars: active-learning and thinking with deliverables in mind. That means two things: (1) encouraging vibrant classroom discussion where students are active participants in the conversations, and (2) designing assignments with the intention of helping students hone and publish these assignments by providing constant feedback.
What are you working on currently that excites you?
I am currently finishing my first book project, which looks at the causes of revisionism and US-China-Asia relations. I am also working on a set of article manuscripts, dealing with the issue of information warfare as a strategy that revisionist powers use to pursue their geopolitical interests. These projects will eventually coalesce into a second book project several years down the line. Both research agendas deal the pressing policy issue of why and how much China wants to revise the existing international order – and through what instruments of statecraft.
Tell us about a place you’ve traveled that really sticks in your mind as somewhere special you’d like to return to.
A few years ago, I went to Siracusa in Italy as a part of a staff ride to explore the battlefields of the Sicilian Expedition/ Peloponnesian War. I would love to return to see the Sicilian sunrise again!
