About
Eugene R L Tan is a PhD candidate in the Department of International Relations at LSE.
Eugene’s research interests centre on the causes and consequences of international order transitions in East Asia and Europe. His LSE PhD Studentship-funded research examines peaceful transitions in international order and the influence of non-hegemonic states. With an empirical focus on Southeast Asia, Eugene is also working on projects that study the agency of target states in shaping the reception of Chinese soft power, the influence of localised collective memories of Soviet legacies on Southeast Asian relations with Russia post invasion of Ukraine, and the influence of ASEAN Chairs in shaping regional geopolitical developments.
Prior to starting his doctoral studies in the LSE Department of International Relations, Eugene was a Senior Research Officer at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute for three years. He published commentaries regularly through ISEAS publications, particularly Fulcrum, and has also published with outlets including Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), East Asia Forum, and the Cambridge Review of International Affairs (CRIA).
Eugene holds an MSc in International Relations Research (Distinction) from LSE, where he received funding support through the Tun Dato Sri Cheng Lock Tan MA Scholarship. He also graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Social Science from Singapore Management University, majoring in Political Science and Sociology.
Research topic
Incremental shifts, monumental change: Rethinking the role of non-hegemonic small states in peaceful transitions of international order
Academic supervisors
Research cluster affiliation
Security and Statecraft research cluster
Theory/Area/History research cluster
Expertise
International Order, International Security, Southeast Asia, East Asia
Research
Book Review: A Hierarchical Vision of Order: Understanding Chinese Foreign Policy in Asia
Eugene RL Tan
Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Online 10 July 2025