Mirna Galic Joins the CSIS Japan Chair as Deputy Director and Senior Fellow

WASHINGTON, DC – September 2, 2025 – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) today announced that Mirna Galic has joined the CSIS Japan Chair as deputy director and senior fellow. With two decades of government and think tank experience, Galic’s expertise will deepen CSIS’s research on Japanese security policy and U.S. alliances in Asia.

“We are excited to welcome Mirna to CSIS,” said Dr. Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS. “Mirna’s research on the U.S.-Japan alliance and Japan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its partnerships in Asia and Europe is highly relevant to policymakers facing intensifying regional and global security challenges. Her experience working on wide-ranging security issues in government and think tank roles will help ensure that CSIS continues to be a leading source of analysis on Japan and U.S. foreign policy in Asia.”

Prior to joining CSIS, Galic served as senior expert on East Asia at the United States Institute of Peace, leading projects on defense and deterrence related to China with a special focus on Japan. She previously worked in Tokyo as a Council on Foreign Relations-Hitachi International Affairs fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs where she published research on Japan’s security reforms, its changing strategic posture, and its deepening relationship with NATO.

Galic also spent six years as senior adviser for international partnerships at the U.S. Department of State, where her duties included coordinating with officials from Japan and other ally and partner countries to advance U.S. policy priorities and programs for Afghanistan. Prior to joining the Department of State, she served as senior foreign policy adviser in the U.S. Senate and as special adviser on counterterrorism in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the United Nations. She has been cited in major media outlets such as Bloomberg, BBC News, NPR, Associated Press, Breaking Defense, CNN, Japan Times, Kyodo News, Mainichi Shimbun, South China Morning Post, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of America.

“Japan is the key U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific and will remain an important partner as the United States navigates regional and global challenges and opportunities,” Galic said. “The shifting global order requires policymakers to keep tabs on the evolving dynamics of the U.S.-Japan alliance, Japan’s defense posture, Tokyo’s threat perceptions, and the country’s regional and global role. I am delighted by the opportunity to focus more deeply on these issues at CSIS and to build on the Japan Chair’s extraordinary record.”

Galic is a two-time recipient of the U.S. Department of State Superior Honor Award and a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a master’s degree in international relations from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Stanford University. Read Galic’s full bio here.

In this new role, Galic will work alongside Dr. Kristi Govella, senior adviser and Japan Chair, and a group of other high-level scholars. The CSIS Japan Chair is a leading source of analytic insight and policy-relevant research on Japan, the U.S.-Japan alliance, and Japan’s leadership on the global stage. It was established in 1981 to provide a venue in Washington, D.C., for the study of U.S.-Japan relations and to increase mutual understanding. As Japan’s role in Asian and global affairs continues to grow, the Japan Chair is charting a strategic agenda for the U.S.-Japan relationship. The Japan Chair is a unique platform to raise awareness of U.S.-Japan policy issues in a bilateral, regional and global context. Visit here to learn more about the CSIS Japan Chair.

The CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department examines the key political, economic, security, and societal trends shaping the future of global governance and institutions. With deep regional expertise and strong global relationships across Africa, Americas, Europe, Eurasia, Russia, Indo-Pacific, and Middle East, the department’s experts offer comprehensive analysis to guide policymakers in navigating the evolving challenges to U.S. global leadership. Explore the department’s latest work by visiting here.

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