Executive Director

Hugh Tuckfield has a career that spans policy, law, academia, and international consulting. His expertise lies in international human rights, international relations, and political science. He has consulted in a diverse range of issue areas, including education, human rights law, Indigenous rights, climate and the environment, human trafficking, refugee rights, and global migration in the Indo-Pacific region. He has worked in the field on human rights issues and advocacy in Nepal and Bangladesh and is a member of the Global Campus of Human Rights.

Hugh's academic journey began at Monash University, where he earned bachelor degrees in Economics and Law, followed by a Master of Human Rights and Democratization (Asia-Pacific Region) from the University of Sydney and the Kathmandu School of Law. He completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Sydney in the discipline of Government and International Relations, investigating and explaining the influence of the two great powers, China, and the United States, on small states in the Indo-Pacific region to comply with international norms in the face of great power coercion.

In the legal arena, Hugh has been admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Hugh was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, a WZB Sydney University Merit Fellow at the WZB Social Science Center in Berlin and was an associate of the Sydney Asia Pacific Migration Center.

He has consulted for the UN, state, and federal governments in Australia and provided advice to international and national human rights organizations on a diverse range of issues. Hugh has presented papers at numerous international conferences and published articles and papers on human rights and refugee studies.

Hugh has lectured at the University of Sydney and the Kathmandu School of Law on subjects including international human rights, research methods, and the regional and global governance of migration.

Deputy Director

Dr. Kumari Mansi is a distinguished scholar and educator with a multifaceted background in both French studies and Political Science. Currently, she holds the prestigious position of MoFA Taiwan Fellow at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei, Taiwan. In addition, she has been honored with the Ministry of Education Taiwan Short Term Research Award (2022) at the post-doc level.

Dr. Mansi has been contributing to the academic community as an Assistant Professor at Amity University, Haryana, India, since 2013.

Her teaching journey began earlier as a guest lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages, Ministry of Defense, India.

Her academic achievements are further highlighted by the awards she has received, including the Shastri Indo-Canadian Students Mobility Program (2012) and the Shastri Knowledge Grants Award (2014). These accolades reflect her dedication to research and education.

Dr. Mansi's educational background is both rich and diverse. She earned her PhD from the School of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In addition to her doctoral studies, she holds two Master's degrees: an MA in French and an MA in Political Science.

With her extensive experience, innovative research, and commitment to education, Dr. Kumari Mansi continues to be a leading figure in her field. Her work in both language studies and political science showcases her versatility and passion for fostering international understanding and collaboration.

CEO

E. Azaz has directed and developed research, policy, and program initiatives for over 2 decades in the Indo-Pacific and Europe with universities, think tanks, INGOs, and multilateral organisations, and has served as a consultant on a spectrum of related issues to migration and regional stability.

Non-Resident Fellow and IPSC Coordinator

James JB Park, a retired Captain of the Republic of Korea Army, brings a wealth of experience in international relations, military affairs, and policy coordination to his role as Non-Resident Fellow at the Indo-Pacific Studies Center (IPSC). As the IPSC Coordinator, James oversees the Center’s intern program and plays a leading role in organizing the State of the Indo-Pacific Conference.

His distinguished career began as an interpreting officer stationed at the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, where he facilitated critical communication between servicemen of the two allied nations. For his exemplary service, he received multiple commendations from the Eighth United States Army and the Combined Forces Command.

In addition to his role at IPSC, James is the 2024 Non-Resident James A. Kelly Korea Studies Fellow and an Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellow. He is a recognized Young Leader of the Pacific Forum and a NextGen member of the Royal United Service Institute. His insights have been featured in prominent media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, The Diplomat, and Asia Times.

James’s expertise and dedication make him an invaluable member of IPSC, where he fosters collaboration, mentors the next generation of researchers, and ensures the success of flagship initiatives like the State of the Indo-Pacific Conference.