Thomas is a Lloyd & Lilian Vasey Fellow at Pacific Forum, a tutor in foreign policy at UNSW and completed his honours in 2017 focusing on International Relations & Asia Studies, specialising in Japan and Korea. Thomas spent two years working on US Asia Policy at the United States Studies Centre while publishing articles with The Diplomat and had a six-month residency as the Indo-Pacific Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs.

In this episode, Emma and Tom discuss:

• Tom's current research on South Korea-Australia relations and how the global pandemic can be leveraged to further cooperation

• Tom’s professional background, giving us insight and tips about stepping out from university into working in a think tank, writing articles for online publications and getting his first internship.

• Why is the development of Australia-South Korea defence cooperation important?

• Why should Australia be interested in the Korean Peninsula?

• What is Australia's current Korea Policy?

• How can their bilateral relationship be deepened and what benefits would they bring?