Dr. Cronin, who will have just returned from China and elsewhere in Asia prior to the program, is a Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for A New American Security (CNAS). Previously, he was the Senior Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) at the National Defense University, where he simultaneously oversaw the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs.
Dr. Cronin has a rich and diverse background in both Asian-Pacific security and U.S. defense, foreign and development policy. Prior to leading INSS, Dr. Cronin served as the Director of Studies at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). At the IISS, he also served as Editor of the Adelphi Papers and as the Executive Director of the Armed Conflict Database. Before joining IISS, Dr. Cronin was Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In 2001, Dr. Cronin was confirmed by the United States Senate to the third-ranking position at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
A graduate of St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, Dr. Cronin he received both his M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees in International Relations. Prior to his Oxford studies he was graduated with high honors from the University of Florida.