Mr. Gaurav Sen

Gaurav Sen is an International Relations scholar pursuing his doctorate at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, where his research examines Seychelles and major power competition in the Indian Ocean. His expertise spans strategic and security studies, Indo-Pacific geopolitics, small-state agency and African political economy. He is the author of the Routledge monograph Peril of the Pacific: Military Balance and Battle for Taiwan (2026) and co-author of a forthcoming Routledge volume on African strategic minerals, with articles in journals such as Small Wars & Insurgencies and the Journal of Strategic Security. Before joining academia full-time, he worked as a Research Associate at the Centre for Air Power Studies and taught undergraduate Political Science at the University of Delhi. His teaching connects theory with real-world policy questions, encouraging students to think critically, read widely and argue from evidence.

• Ph.D., International Relations (2021 – Present), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
• M.A., International Relations (2019 – 2021), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi – 72% (First Division)
• B.A., History & Political Science (2015 – 2018), Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi
• UGC NET-JRF qualified

Guest Assistant Professor, Political Science | University of Delhi | Sep 2024 – May 2025
• Designed and delivered “Introduction to Political Science” at the undergraduate level; curriculum development, lectures, assessment and student mentoring.
Research Associate | Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi | May 2022 – Jul 2024
• Research on airpower doctrine, naval modernisation, A2/AD systems and grey-zone coercion; authored policy briefs, issue briefs and peer-reviewed articles on maritime security and Indo-Pacific strategic affairs.
Research Intern, Military Affairs | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi | Oct 2021 – Feb 2022

Guest Assistant Professor, Political Science |  University of Delhi  |  Sep 2024 – May 2025

• Designed and delivered “Introduction to Political Science” at the undergraduate level; curriculum development, lectures, assessment and student mentoring.

Research Associate  |  Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi  |  May 2022 – Jul 2024

• Research on airpower doctrine, naval modernisation, A2/AD systems and grey-zone coercion; authored policy briefs, issue briefs and peer-reviewed articles on maritime security and Indo-Pacific strategic affairs.

Research Intern, Military Affairs  |  Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi  |  Oct 2021 – Feb 2022

Co-author (Chapter); Performance Anxiety and Its Management: A Comprehensive Guide

Books

• Sen, Gaurav (2026). Peril of the Pacific: Military Balance and Battle for Taiwan. 1st ed. London: Routledge. ISBN: 9781041349136. DOI: 10.4324/9781003799207
• Sen, Gaurav, and Gayatri Dixit (forthcoming). African Strategic Minerals: African Agency, India and the Geopolitics of Resources. London: Routledge.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Sen, G. (2026). Do small wars still stay small? Rethinking escalation theory through Operation Sindoor. Small Wars & Insurgencies, 1–20. DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2026.2666727
• Sen, Gaurav (2026). The Diversification Dilemma: Structural Vulnerability and Policy Frontiers in Small States — A Case Study of Seychelles. Small States & Territories, 9(1), 341–358.
• Sen, Gaurav (2025). Major Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific and the Blue Economy: A Catalyst for Cooperation in Small Island States? Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs. DOI: 10.1080/18366503.2025.2610125
• Sen, Gaurav (2025). Looking Inside Seychelles’ Beneficial Multi-Alignment Strategy amidst India–China Competition. Journal of Strategic Security, 18(3), 154–168.
• Sen, Gaurav. The Other China’s Watch: Taiwanese Views of India–China Boundary Negotiations During the Nehru Era. World Affairs: Voice of the Global South (Accepted, April 2027).
• Sen, Gaurav. Navigating Giants: Small Island States’ Strategic Pursuit of Influence in Indian Ocean Major Power Competition. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region (under review).

Policy Writing & Public Scholarship

• Sen, G. (2026). The Shield of the Strait: Taiwan’s Layered Air Defence and the Calculus of Deterrence. CIMSEC, February 2026.
• Pathak, S., and G. Sen (2025). Something to Keep in Mind: China Can’t Invade Taiwan Yet. The Strategist, ASPI, August 2025.
• Sen, G. (2025). How Taiwan Must Prepare to Face Chinese Drone Saturation. ASPI, July 2025.
• Sen, G. (2025). From China Skepticism to Taiwan Engagement: How India’s Youth See Taiwan. The Diplomat, August 2025.
• Pathak, S., and G. Sen (2025). India–China Thaw: Strategic Signalling, Not Concession. Firstpost, August 2025.
• Sen, G. (2025). Testing the Waters: Modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army. Small Wars Journal, August 2025.
• Singh, K., and G. Sen (2024). The Compulsions and Challenges of Indian Strategic Autonomy Amid the Russia–Ukraine War. South Asian Voices, October 2024.
• Sen, G. (2024). Will Success in Agalega Compensate for India’s Assumption Island Debacle? The Diplomat, 2024.
• Sen, G. (2023). Assessing Pakistan’s Naval Modernisation and Its Implications for India. Issue Brief, Centre for Air Power Studies, November 2023.
• Sen, G. (2023). China is Helping Modernise the Pakistan Navy. What Does That Mean for India? The Diplomat, July 2023.
• Sen, G. (2022). Could Pelosi’s Visit Spark the Next Taiwan Strait Crisis? The National Interest, July 2022.

• “Green Technology and China’s Strategic Positioning in the Indo-Pacific” – The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong, 2025
• “Geopolitical Competition and Regional Security Dynamics” – APRI Forum Conference, Armenia, 2024
• “Small-State Strategic Autonomy in Contested Regions” – Political Studies Association (PSA) UK, Liverpool, 2023
• “Institutional Practice and Strategic Positioning of Small States” – ISA Global South Caucus, Bangkok, 2023
• ASEAN–India Youth Summit (Selected Delegate) – Goa, India, 2025

• Sen, Gaurav (2026). The Diplomatic History of the Global South: From NAM to the G20. In India and the Global South: History, Challenges, and Future in World Politics, ed. A. Agarwal and B. Parkash. New Delhi: KW Publishers.
• Sen, Gaurav (2025). Taiwan as a Global Commons: Implications for Indo-Pacific Security. In Asian Defence Review 2025, ed. A. Golani and J. Alam. New Delhi: KW Publishers.
• Sen, Gaurav (2024). Taiwan on Its Own Feet: Indigenous Defence Production and Challenges. In Asian Defence Review 2024, ed. A. Golani. New Delhi: KW Publishers.

• Qualified UGC NET-JRF (Junior Research Fellowship)
• Author of the Routledge monograph Peril of the Pacific: Military Balance and Battle for Taiwan (2026)
• Co-author (with Prof. Gayatri Dixit) of a forthcoming Routledge volume on African strategic minerals
• Doctoral research project: “Seychelles and Major Power Competition: Implications for India” (JNU)
• Selected Delegate, ASEAN–India Youth Summit, Goa (2025)
• Invited Guest Lecturer, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University
• Commentary published by ASPI, The Diplomat, The National Interest, CIMSEC, Small Wars Journal and Firstpost
• Member, International Studies Association (ISA)