Kathryn Paik

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Australia Chair
Photo: CSIS

Kathryn Paik is a deputy director and senior fellow with the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, Kathryn served in the United States Marine Corps for over 23 years, most recently as the director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific on the National Security Council (NSC) (2021–2023), where she spearheaded numerous initiatives for the administration, including the creation of the first U.S. Pacific Partnership Strategy and the initial U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit. Prior to her time at the NSC, Kathryn held a variety of positions as a Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia foreign area officer, including serving as the marine attaché to Indonesia for three years and as a CH-46E combat helicopter pilot, during which she deployed to Iraq and throughout the Indo-Pacific. Kathryn has a master’s in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor of science in systems engineering from the Naval Academy. She speaks Mandarin and Indonesian.

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Enhancing Defense Industrial Cooperation Between Australia and the United States

In a time of deepening geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the United States and Australia should strengthen their defense industrial cooperation to deter potential adversaries while integrating and expanding both nations’ defense industrial bases.

Report by Cynthia Cook, Charles Edel, Kathryn Paik, Gregory Sanders, Henry H. Carroll, Katy Buda, and John Augé — March 3, 2025

U.S. Allies and Partners Under the Trump Administration

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department for a discussion of the ways in which U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas are navigating the new administration’s policies.

Event — February 18, 2025

Audio Briefs

Looking Ahead: Next Steps in the Pacific

An audio version of “Looking Ahead: Next Steps in the Pacific,” a new commentary by CSIS's Kathryn Paik. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Kathryn Paik — January 28, 2025

Audio Briefs

Looking Ahead: Next Steps in the Pacific

Despite significant strategic chess moves in the Pacific in 2024, this critical region remains highly contested. It is imperative for the new U.S. administration to craft an effective and considered approach to U.S.-Pacific relations into 2025.

Commentary by Kathryn Paik — January 27, 2025

Audio Briefs

Looking Back: A Review of the Pacific in 2024

An audio version of “Looking Back: A Review of the Pacific in 2024,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Kathryn Paik. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Kathryn Paik — January 21, 2025

Audio Briefs

Looking Back: A Review of the Pacific in 2024

While there is strong bipartisan support for a robust U.S. presence in the Pacific, the increasingly competitive global landscape necessitates a continuous reassessment and refinement of strategic approach.

Commentary by Kathryn Paik — January 15, 2025

The Truth of the Matter

The Peril of American Neglect in the Pacific

Charles Edel, CSIS Senior Adviser and Australia Chair, and Kathryn Paik, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Australia Chair, join the podcast to discuss their new Foreign Affairs article on how China is dominating foreign policy in the Pacific.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz, Kathryn Paik, and Charles Edel — October 15, 2024

CSIS the truth of the matter

Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific in a New U.S. Administration

In the highly contested Indo-Pacific, the U.S.-Australian alliance and Pacific Islands region have emerged as vital for U.S. national security. As U.S. leadership changes loom, it is crucial to sustain commitments to counter China and ensure U.S. influence in the region.

Commentary by Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik — September 26, 2024