Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.

Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.

Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.

Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, PH.D.

    Welcome!

    I am a lecturer in International Relations at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University.

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    About Me

    I am a Lecturer in International Relations at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, and a non-resident Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).


    My research lies at the intersection of international security and political psychology, with a particular focus on the role of emotions in foreign policy decision-making. My dissertation explores the dynamics of friendship and betrayal in international relations, arguing that friendships between states create moral obligations. When these obligations are perceived to be violated, they can provoke powerful emotional responses—such as moral outrage—that lead to imprudent or disproportionately punitive actions.


    Beyond my work on emotions in foreign policy, I also study how small states navigate and respond to the grand strategies of great powers. My article, “Thailand’s Engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Strong Will, Slow Implementation,” published in Asian Perspective, analyzes Thailand’s cautious embrace of China’s BRI. I am currently researching why and how small states refer to more powerful countries—especially China—as a “big brother,” even when such framing may undermine their own bargaining power.


    I hold a BA in Political Science from Chulalongkorn University, an MA in International Relations  (with a concentration in Southeast Asia) from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California.

    Research

    Peer-reviewed publications

    "Thailand’s Engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Strong Will, Slow Implementation," Asian Perspective 45(2), 349-374.  doi:10.1353/apr.2021.0004." [link]

    Book chapters

    International Political Economy in Thailand: A Discipline in Stagnation. In Chanintira na Thalang, Soravis Jayanama Jittipat Poonkham (Eds.), International Relations as a Discipline in Thailand: Theory and Sub-fields. Routeledge.

    Work in progress

    "Interstate Betrayal"


    "Why does a small state call a more powerful state big brother?"


    "Siam Evades Colonial Rule: Geography, Reform and the Logic of Survival?" (chapter for East Asia and the World book project edited by Stephen Haggard and David Kang)

    Teaching

    Thammasat University

    University of Southern California

    University of Southern California

    Lecturer, 2014-Present

    Student population: undergraduate and graduate students

    Courses: Introduction to International Relations, Political Psychology and International Relations, Global Political Economy, U.S. Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Analysis

    University of Southern California

    University of Southern California

    University of Southern California

    Teaching Assistant, 2018-2024

    Student population: undergraduate students

    Courses: International Relations Theory, Historical Approaches in International Relations, Approaches to Research in International Relations

    Awards: 2018 USC School of International Relations Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

    CV

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    Contact

    Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi

    Email: pongkwan@tu.ac.th


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