Alexander Bushnell

Alex Bushnell is a doctoral researcher whose work focuses on the international security politics of Southeast and East Asia. His current research examines the intersection of cultural norms, historical experience, and political institutions, and the ways in which these forces shape the evolution of Vietnamese foreign policy. By grounding contemporary diplomacy in Vietnam’s political culture and historical memory, his work seeks to contribute to a richer and more regionally grounded understanding of strategic behaviour in East and Southeast Asia.   

Alex’s academic interests centre on how non-Western theoretical frameworks can enhance and challenge conventional approaches to International Relations. His research interrogates the extent to which Vietnam’s long-standing traditions of statecraft, regional diplomacy, and political thought continue to inform strategic decision-making, elite worldviews, and approaches to security in the 21st century. Through this lens, he seeks to demonstrate how locally rooted understandings of hierarchy, legitimacy, and order provide valuable insights often overlooked in mainstream IR analysis.   

In addition to his doctoral research, Alex has served as an academic assistant at Marmara University in Istanbul, contributing to projects on Black Sea security dynamics. During his time at Marmara, he also conducted research on Vietnamese migration and smuggling networks to the United Kingdom, exploring how socio-economic pressures and state narratives shape migration patterns and governance responses. He has presented research on ethnic conflict in Vietnam, examining how identity, state-building, and political authority intersect within the country’s diverse social landscape.   

Before beginning his PhD, Alex worked in education and journalism in Vietnam and Nepal, reporting on political developments, ethnic relations, and regional strategic issues. He also served as the Vietnam contributor for the Asia in Review journal, produced by Goethe University Frankfurt, Universität Münster, and Thammasat University, providing analysis on political and security developments in Vietnam and the wider region. 

Alex holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield and an MA in International Relations from the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI). His master’s thesis applied the Tributary System framework to contemporary Sino–Vietnamese relations, providing the theoretical foundation for his current doctoral research. 

Vietnam, Southeast and East Asian regional security and security studies