Asia Unscripted

This episode features Ian Christensen, Audrey Schaffer, and Clayton Swope, who join USAI Program Assistant Jillian to discuss Chinese and American advancements in orbital data centers and satellite infrastructure, and what these developments mean for space security, competition, and international governance.

Ian Christensen is Senior Director of Private Sector Programs at Secure World Foundation (SWF), where he leads engagement with the commercial space industry on policy and governance topics, including space debris mitigation, safety, and traffic coordination. He was a member of the Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group and the CONFERS Secretariat, and from 2019 to 2025 co-organized Track II dialogues between U.S. and Chinese space stakeholders. He was a 2025 Karman Fellow. Prior to SWF, he worked at Futron Corporation and Avascent, leading market and forecasting studies for space sector clients. He holds an M.A. in international science and technology policy from George Washington University's Elliott School and dual B.S. degrees in political science and biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Audrey Schaffer is Senior Vice President of Global Policy and Government Strategy at Slingshot Aerospace, a space data and AI company focused on space safety and sustainability. She spent over 15 years in government, most recently as Director for Space Policy on the National Security Council, where she advised the President on military, intelligence, civil, and commercial space policy. She led efforts to establish the U.S. Space Force in law, set U.S. policy against destructive anti-satellite missile testing, and negotiated the first UN guidelines for space sustainability. She is a non-resident senior associate at CSIS and serves on SWF's Advisory Committee. She holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT and an M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University.

Clayton Swope is Deputy Director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at CSIS. He previously led national security and cybersecurity public policy for Amazon's Project Kuiper and worked on cloud policy at Amazon. Earlier, he was a senior adviser on national security, space, foreign affairs, and technology policy for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and spent over 14 years at the CIA, largely in the Directorate of Science and Technology. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

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This episode features Mr. Andy Lim, Deputy Director and Fellow with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Mr. Lim’s research focuses on North Korea, the U.S.-South Korea alliance, inter-Korean relations, and the weaponization of economic interdependence. A graduate of American University, Mr. Lim has been published in Comparative Connections, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Quarterly, and he is the co-author of the new book China's Weaponization of Trade with Victor Cha and Ellen Kim. 

Mr. Lim speaks to the US-Asia Institute's Program Assistant Olivia Van Hoey about the 2026 Suwon inter-Korean women's soccer match and how sports can be used to create connections between North and South Korea. 

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This episode features Mr. James Borton, who is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He has spent more than 30 years reporting from Southeast Asia, establishing himself as a leading voice on environmental policy in the South China Sea. Mr. Borton is a seasoned editor and commentator, frequently contributing op-eds and analysis to major publications including The Washington Times, South China Morning Post, and more. His editorial credits include Venture Japan, The South China Sea: Challenges and Promises (2015) and Islands and Rocks in the South China Sea: Post Hague Ruling (2017). His most recent book, Harvesting the Waves: How Blue Parks Shape Policy, Politics, and Peacebuilding in the South China Sea, released in May 2025. The book delves into the emerging role of marine protected areas — so-called "Blue Parks" — in regional diplomacy, environmental stewardship and conflict resolution.

Mr. Borton speaks to Saniya about the growing importance of ecological diplomacy as well as the risks and rewards associated with its application to the South China Sea region.

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features Mr. Michael Kugelman, the director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute. He is also a columnist for the Foreign Policy Magazine. His primary research projects include geopolitics in South Asia, U.S.-India technology cooperation, and the role of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Some of Mr. Kugelman's longer publications include Pakistan’s Interminable Energy Crisis: Is There Any Way Out? (Wilson Center, 2015), Pakistan’s Runaway Urbanization: What Can Be Done? (Wilson Center, 2014), and India’s Contemporary Security Challenges (Wilson Center, 2013). Kugelman has written and spoken for several news and media outlets including the New York Times, Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN and more. He received his M.A. in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and his B.A. from American University’s School of International Service.

Mr. Kugelman speaks to USAI Program and Communications Assistant, Priyasha Chakravarti, about Bhutan's sustainable development efforts, including concepts such as Gross National Happiness, sustainable development fee, and economic diversification. 

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features Dr. Courtney Work, who is an Associate Professor at National Chengchi Univeristy. Before joining National Chengchi University, Dr. Work completed her PhD at Cornell University, in Ithaca, NY in 2014, after which she spent five years on a research post-doc with the Institute for Social Studies, The Hague, and the Regional Center for Sustainable Development (RCSD) at Chiang Mai University. She researched the intersections of climate change policies and forest-based livelihoods in Cambodia and Myanmar.

Dr. Work speaks to USAI Program Assistant Tarang about Cambodia's past and future initiatives to mitigate climate change. 

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features Ambassador Scot Marciel, 
Ambassador Scot Marciel is the Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. From 2010 to 2013, Ambassador Marciel served as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia and served as the first U.S. Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for  Southeast Asia from 2007 to 2010. Ambassador Marciel is a retired diplomat who has also served as U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar from March 2016 through May 2020. With over 35 years of experience in Asia, Ambassador Marciel is a career diplomat who has also served at U.S. missions in Turkey, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil and the Philippines. 

Ambassador Marciel speaks to USAI Program Assistant Tarang about Thailand's foreign policy habits and its history with the United States. 

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features Dr. Alka Jauhari, who is a Practitioner In Residence at the Department of Human Sciences of the University of New Haven. Dr. Jauhari has obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Isabella Thoburn College, a Masters Degree in Political Science at Lucknow University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Lucknow University as well. Dr. Jauhari’s research includes the South Asian Region, primarily highlighting the exploration of growth and development issues in India, which she has compared with those in the African Countries. Dr. Jauhari’s research also focuses on analyzing political, economic, and social issues within the African Continent.  

*Correction: Dr. Jauhari referred to the "British Crown," not the British Queen when answering Question 2. 

Dr. Jauhari speaks to USAI Program Assistant Tarang about current India and Pakistan relations along with history surrounding the partition. Click on the link in our bio to listen to the latest episode!

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features Nick Millward, who is the U.S. Co-Director of Friends of Mongolia. Nick Millward earned a bachelor’s in international studies at Virginia Military Institute. Upon graduating, he served as an Infantry Officer in the US Marine Corps for 7 years, where he was eventually stationed in Japan, enabling him to travel to Mongolia. He left the military in 2021 and is pursuing a Masters of Peace and Conflict Studies as a Rotary Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Nick is developing advanced skills in conflict resolution with a background in Central and East Asian Studies; he has experience collaborating with multiple NGO’s and institutions and is eager to develop a robust network of volunteers and practitioners who strengthen community relations.

Nick speaks to USAI Program Assistant Tarang about the work that Friends of Mongolia does within the country to foster community-building. 

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This episode of US-Asia Institute's podcast, Asia Unscripted, features the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, The Honorable Sade Bimantara. He is a career diplomat and graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where he obtained his Bachelor and Masters in his focuses of interests: economics, finance, and communications. 

Mr. Bimantara speaks to USAI Program Assistant Tarang about the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-US relations and how they have changed over the decades. 

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This episode features Dr. David Dollar, who is a senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution and host of the Brookings trade podcast, Dollar&Sense. He is a leading expert on China’s economy and U.S.-China economic relations. From 2009 to 2013, Dollar was the U.S. Treasury’s economic and financial emissary to China, based in Beijing, facilitating the macroeconomic and financial policy dialogue between the United States and China. Prior to joining Treasury, Dollar worked 20 years for the World Bank, serving as country director for China and Mongolia, based in Beijing (2004-2009). He has a doctorate in economics from New York University and a bachelor’s in Chinese history and language from Dartmouth College.

David speaks to Amelie about the bilateral partnership between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the respective South East Asian nations, as well as the controversial designation of the infrastructure project as China’s tool for “debt trap diplomacy.” 

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