ROBERT WARD

IISS Japan Chair; Director of Geo-economics and Strategy

Robert Ward is the IISS Japan Chair, carrying out independent research and writing extensively on strategic issues related to Japan, including its contemporary security and foreign policies. He is also co-author of a book on Japan for the IISS’s Adelphi series: Japan’s Effectiveness as a Geo-economic Power. He also leads the Institute’s Geo-economics, Geopolitics and Strategy research programme, which focuses on a range of issues including global economic governance, rules and standards setting, and how economic coercion impacts policy at a national and corporate level.

Prior to joining the IISS in 2019, Robert was Editorial Director at The Economist Intelligence Unit, a sister company of The Economist Newspaper. In this capacity, he led the EIU’s country and industry analysis and forecasting teams. He was also a member of the EIU’s Executive Committee. Robert lived and worked in Japan from 1989 to 1996, latterly holding a position in Japan’s largest credit-rating agency, The Japan Bond Research Institute. Robert holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Cambridge University.