Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan and a Senior Associated Research Fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP). His research interests include Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, security studies, peacebuilding, counter-terrorism, and human rights. He is a former communications specialist with the United Nations, serving in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.