Introduction

Dr Ivan Lidarev is an Asian security and international relations expert who specialises in China-India relations. He is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and a Visiting Lecturer at the Centre for Eastern Languages and Studies, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.

Dr Lidarev obtained his PhD in International Relations and Political Science from King’s College London in 2021 with a dissertation on the China-India territorial dispute. He received his MA in International Affairs (concentration Asia) from Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and his BA in History, Asian Studies, and Global and International Studies from Bard College. He also had a brief stint at Shanghai’s Fudan University.

Dr Lidarev boasts rich think tank experience, having held visiting fellowships at the Observer Research Foundation, India; Institute of International Relations Prague, Czechia; and LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom (UK). He also served as advisor at Bulgaria’s National Assembly (2014-2017), Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Defence Academy of the UK (2018-2019) and Associate Features Editor of E-International Relations (2015-2016).

He has participated in various leadership and professional training programmes, including as Young Leader (2016, 2017) at the GLOBSEC Forum, Young Professional at the Tatra Summit (2018), MERICS Young European China Talent (2018) at the Mercator Institute for China Studies and New Security Leader (2021) at the Warsaw Security Forum.

Together with his native Bulgarian, Dr Lidarev speaks English, French, Russian and Mandarin Chinese.

Areas of Interest and Expertise

• Sino-Indian Relations and Territorial Dispute
• Indian Foreign and Security Policy
• Chinese Foreign Policy, particularly in South Asia
• India’s Rise as a Maritime Power
• European Union Relations with East and South Asia