Academic - Consultant - Writer
Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, North Asia
My name is Jeffrey Robertson. I previously worked for the Australian Government in the fields of Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and North Asia. Now I write from the other side of the line - as an academic, consultant, and writer - sometimes even a spy fiction ghost writer. To read my work, visit my Substack at Diplomatic Seoul. If you have any interest in exchanging ideas or collaborating please do not hesitate to contact me.
Academic
I'm an Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea; a Visiting Fellow at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne; a Visiting Fellow at the Australia Studies Institute at the Australian National University (ANU); and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). My areas of research interest include the interaction between diplomatic practice and foreign policy, the role of middle powers in the international system, and North Asia (China, the Koreas, Japan, and Russian Far East) regional affairs.
Consultant
I undertake research, analysis, writing and advisory work on regional affairs. Recent work has included subjects as diverse as regional oil storage facilities, the nuclear energy sector, political candidate profiles, strategic decision-making, and foreign ministry organizational culture. Consultancy clients include governments, embassies, and intergovernmental organizations in the region, private/think-tank/NGO sectors (Incheon Development Institute, FKI, Hanil Scientific) and strategic studies and political risk services providers (Economist Intelligence Unit, the Financial Times Group, and Oxford Analytica). I currently provide bespoke analytical briefs and an analytical update subscription service on emerging and/or urgent issues to a number of clients working in the region.
Writer
With twenty-five years in operational and analytical government roles, academia, and consultancy, I have built a solid reputation as a researcher, analyst, and policy strategist. I'm an eager contributor to the think-tank and international relations blogging community, with pieces appearing in The Peninsula, The Interpreter, The Strategist, Australian Outlook, and Policy Forum, among others. My writing includes academic, creative non-fiction, and fiction - with espionage and political thriller ghostwriting a growing pastime! I also regularly contribute to both print and broadcast media and have made appearances on BBC, CNN, Arirang, Al Jazeera, and Channel News Asia.