Dr Angana Guha Roy: An Insightful Foreign Policy Analyst

Dr Angana Guha Roy is a dedicated and accomplished foreign policy research analyst based in New Delhi, specializing in the intricate geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region, the multifaceted dimensions of Indian foreign policy, and the evolving landscape of conventional and non-conventional threats. Her academic journey is distinguished by significant achievements and a deep commitment to the field of international relations.

Academic Foundation and Scholarly Pursuits

Dr Roy’s academic qualifications demonstrate a strong foundation in international relations and foreign policy studies. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Foreign Policy from the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi. Her doctoral thesis explored the semantics and scope of Middle Power in International Relations, with a specific focus on South Korea’s New Asia Initiative, adopted in 2013. While pursuing her Ph.D., Dr Roy simultaneously worked in prestigious think tanks in New Delhi, including the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the Delhi Policy Group.

Dr Roy also holds a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) from the Institute of Foreign Policy Studies, University of Calcutta, where her dissertation focused on India’s Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. She further holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Jadavpur University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Presidency College, University of Calcutta.

Dr Roy has cultivated a dynamic career marked by significant contributions to research and policy analysis.

Professional Experience and Research Contributions

• Currently, she is affiliated with Usanas Foundation, Udaipur, as a Fellow, and The Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Kathmandu, as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow.
• She also served as a Visiting Fellow at the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics, Ludovika University of Public Services, Budapest, Hungary, from September to November 2024. During her time there, she authored papers on “India at the Intersection of Advanced Technologies, Global Politics, and National Power” and “Expanding Defence Capabilities in Visegrad Countries: Perspective from India.”
• Earlier, she was a Research Associate at the Delhi Policy Group (DPG) in New Delhi, where she worked from June 2016 to March 2024. At DPG, she was the Principal Researcher for the China Monitor Project, a flagship monthly publication focusing on China’s Security and Foreign Policy, and handled projects on BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal) and India-Japan relations. She also designed and conceptualized DPG’s website.
• Prior to that, Dr Roy worked as a Consultant in the Strategic Studies Programme at the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER) in New Delhi from June 2015 to March 2016. In this role, she assisted Amb. H.K. Singh in the India-Japan Bilateral Relations Track 1.5 Dialogue and the ICRIER-CSIS Track 1.5 Dialogue on Indo-US Security Relations.
• Dr Roy also served as an Intern at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi, where she wrote commentaries and played a key role in organizing a national seminar on China, Japan, and South Korea: Emerging Security Architecture in East Asia.
• Earlier in her career, she was an Intern at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi, where she wrote a paper on the Indian Navy’s Anti-Piracy Operations. She also gained teaching experience as a Lecturer of Political Science at Rishi Bankim Chandra College and Rani Birla Girls College in West Bengal.

Awards, Fellowships, and Academic Memberships

Dr Roy’s expertise and contributions have been recognized through several prestigious awards and fellowships. She was awarded the Caspian Sea Fellowship, Azerbaijan, and the Visegrad Fellowship, Europe, in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2013, she received the Shinan Bank Dream Foundation Scholarship from Shinan Bank.

Dr Roy is actively involved in various academic memberships, which include:

• Member of the Indo Pacific Circle, a network of experts on the Indo-Pacific region.
• Editorial member of Review Subcontinent, an international peer-reviewed journal.
• Executive Member of the Research Association of South Korea (RASK).
• Member of the Bengal Institute of Political Studies (BIPS).
• Member of the International Association of Asia Pacific Affairs (IAAPS).

Contributions to Conferences, Seminars, and Publications

Dr Roy is a prolific writer and speaker, with numerous research papers, articles, and presentations at national and international conferences. She has presented papers on topics such as South Korea’s New Southern Policy, India-South Korea defence relations, and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Policy.

Her recent conference and seminar engagements include:

• Speaking on Indo-Pacific opportunities and challenges at the Indo Pacific Thinkers’ Programme in London in February 2024.
• Participating in “Central Europe Meets South Asia” in Budapest in November 2023.
• Delivering a lecture at the India-Japan Young Scholars Forum (YSF) Conference in March 2022.
• Speaking on India in the Indo-Pacific at IFAT, Hungary, in November 2023.
• Serving as a discussant at the Association for Asian Annual Conference 2021.
• Speaking on the India, Nepal, China trilateral relationship at AIDIA, Kathmandu, in October 2020.
• Speaking on ASEAN centrality in India’s Indo-Pacific vision at the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs 2020.

Dr Roy’s selected journal articles include:

• A book review on “The Costliest Pearl: China’s struggle for India’s Ocean” published in the Journal of Indian Ocean Region.
• “South Korea in the Middle East: Bilateral Relations with Israel” in the Indian Journal of Politics and International Relations.
• “South Korea’s Central Asia Pivot: Case Study of Uzbekistan” in Edulight Journal.
• “India –South Korea Relations” in Scholar’s Voice; A New Way of Thinking.
• “The Evolution of India Nepal Relations” in the Journal of Asian Politics.

She has also contributed chapters to books and magazines, such as “Major Powers Engagement in the Korean Peninsula: An Indian Perspective” and “Political Developments in South Korea and the Strategic Conundrum in The Korean Peninsula.”

Dr Roy has also written numerous newspaper articles and online commentaries on various foreign policy and geopolitical issues, including:

• India’s Moment and the Changing World Order.
• India’s Bilateral Ties with Armenia.
• India US Relations: Potential of Greater Convergence.
• China’s Inroads in India’s Eastern Neighbourhood.
• India needs to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan in South Caucasus.
• India’s Neighborhood First Policy: S. Jaishankar’s Diplomatic Visit to Nepal in 2024.
• Discussing Nepal’s Geopolitical Trajectory.
• Canada’s Indo Pacific Strategy.
• Strategic Rivalry in Bay of Bengal Region.
• Trump’s ‘Personalised’ North Korea Policy: 2018–2020 and the Way Forward.
• COVID-19 and the Japan-South Korea Trade Dispute.
• What’s Driving the South Korea-Japan Trade Dispute.
• Opinion – Virtual Diplomacy in India.
• From Fukuda to Abe: Japan’s Expanding Relations with ASEAN.

Dr Angana Guha Roy’s extensive academic background, research experience, and numerous publications and presentations demonstrate her significant contributions to the field of foreign policy analysis, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region