The Asia-Pacific Leadership Network is pleased to announce the appointment of three next generation researchers to support APLN’s work on risk reduction, crisis prevention and crisis management in the Asia-Pacific.

Connor Clery is a PhD Candidate and Academic Associate in the school of Social and Political Science at the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Strategic Risk Reduction Fellow with the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network. His expertise lies in delivering high-quality research on challenges to global peace and security. The focus of his current research examines the political and economic dynamics of resistance in post-conflict Colombia.

Flynn Acworth is a PhD candidate in International Relations at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His doctoral research examines cybersecurity in the Pacific, with a focus on the region’s unique digital ecosystem, the spectrum of cyber threats it faces, and the role of international and public-private cooperation in addressing those challenges. Flynn has a professional background in cybersecurity consulting, and he currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security Management from Bournemouth University, a Master of Strategic Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, and a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago.

Yuuki Tokuda is a graduate student at Hitotsubashi University, majoring in nuclear disarmament and arms control, with a focus on gender mainstreaming in nuclear policy. She is a 2024–25 Policy Cycle Fellow at BASIC and a member of the Emerging Voices Network. Previously, she served as a Junior Assistant Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), where she conducted research and prepared reports. She was also selected as a mentee in the 2024–2025 Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Program under the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC).

The three Strategic Risk Reduction Fellows will conduct research as a part of a cross-national, cross-regional project that assesses security linkages between the Asia-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic region. The project is conducted in cooperation with the European Leadership Network, Melbourne University, Hitotsubashi University, and Victoria University of Wellington.

The project is supported by a grant from the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme and will run through March 2027.