PhD student, GRIPS Global Governance Program, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

Ariel Stenek is a PhD student in the GRIPS Global Governance Program (Security and International Studies concentration) at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. Previously she was director of the Young Leaders Program at Pacific Forum, an initiative that supports a global network of over 1,500 young professionals working in foreign policy and security studies, and was co-lead investigator of Pacific Forum's Women, Peace and Security program. Past positions include interning at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and working on UNESCO's Silk Roads Programme. She holds an M.A. in International Relations from Queen Mary, University of London (Paris campus) and a B.A. in Global Politics and Societies with a minor in European Studies from the University of San Francisco. Her research interests include maritime security, U.S.-Japan relations, and Indo-Pacific security architecture.