Robert Patman is one of the University of Otago’s Inaugural Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chairs and a specialist in international relations. He is the Director of the Master of International Studies (MIntSt) programme. He has authored or edited 13 books with most recent being a co-edited volume titled From Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific: Diplomacy in a Contested Region (Palgrave Macmillan 2021). Robert is also an Honorary Professor of the New Zealand Defence Command and Staff College and makes regular contributions to the national and global media on international issues.