Wilson Center Experts
Robert Hathaway
Director, Asia Program
Asia Program
Contact Information:
T 202/691-4012
// F 202/691-4001
Expertise:
U.S. Politics
; Congress
; U.S. Foreign Policy
; Asia
; China Mainland
; India
; Pakistan
; South Asia
Robert M. Hathaway has been director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., since 1999. Prior to joining the Wilson Center, he served for twelve years on the professional staff of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he specialized in American foreign policy toward Asia.
Dr. Hathaway has also been a member of the History Staff of the Central Intelligence Agency, and has taught at George Washington University and at Barnard, Middlebury, and Wilson Colleges. He holds a Ph.D. in American Diplomatic History from the University of North Carolina. Much of his recent work has focused on Pakistan, including the co-edited Empty Bellies, Broken Dreams: Food Insecurity and the Future of Pakistan (Vanguard Books, 2011) and Powering Pakistan: Meeting Pakistan’s Energy Needs in the 21st Century (Oxford University Press, 2009). He has authored three other books as well as numerous articles on post-1933 U.S. foreign policy.
Major Publications
- Empty Bellies, Broken Dreams: Food Insecurity and the Future of Pakistan,co-editor (Vanguard Books, 2011)
- “Planet Pakistan,” Wilson Quarterly 34:1 (Winter 2010): 21-27
- Powering Pakistan: Meeting Pakistan's Energy Needs in the 21st Century, co-editor (Oxford University Press, 2009)
- “U.S. Domestic Politics and the China Policy Rollercoaster,” in Suisheng Zhao, ed., China and the United States: Cooperation and Competition in Northeast Asia (Palgrave/ Macmillan, 2008)
- “Leverage and largesse: Pakistan’s post-9/11 partnership with America,” Contemporary South Asia 16:1 (March 2008): 11-24
Related Content for this Expert
Security Roundtable: Dealing with Outliers
May 15, 2013 to May 22, 2013
We convene our security roundtable to discuss the best ways to deal with the “outlier states” of North Korea and Iran with Haleh Esfandiari, Robert Hathaway, and Robert Litwak. more
2013 IFES-WWICS Washington Forum on Korea
June 14, 2013 // 9:30am — 3:30pm
Keynoted by Ambassador Glyn Davies, the 2013 IFES-WWICS Washington Forum on Korea will also include a roundtable discussion on leadership changes in East Asia moderated by veteran ABC anchor Sam Donaldson and a panel on North Korea's crisis diplomacy. more
Kerry in Asia: Fleshing Out the Rebalance
Apr 12, 2013Newly-minted Secretary of State John Kerry is in Asia this week amidst a rising sense of crisis prompted by weeks of bellicose rhetoric and increasingly dangerous threats by regional bad boy North Korea. more
Why the U.S. Should Give Pyongyang Breathing Space
Apr 02, 2013North Korea's provocative behavior may be part of a larger effort to break out of diplomatic isolation and economic dependency on China by pressuring Washington to return to the negotiating table. Commentary co-authored by Jane Harman, Robert Hathaway, and James Person. more
Is Pakistan's Condition Terminal?
Mar 27, 2013Program director Robert M. Hathaway weighs in on Pakistan's troubled future. more
Statement on North Korea’s Nuclear Test
Feb 12, 2013
China Goes Global: The Partial Power
February 19, 2013 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
Most global citizens are well aware of the explosive growth of the Chinese economy. Indeed, China has famously become the "workshop of the world." Yet, while China watchers have shed much light on the country's internal dynamics--China's politics, its vast social changes, and its economic development--few have focused on how this increasingly powerful nation has become more active and assertive throughout the world. Check out the webcast here! more
Completing the Asia Pivot
Nov 19, 2012President Barack Obama has made “pivoting” or “rebalancing” of U.S. policies toward Asia one of his strategic priorities. The next administration must not simply maintain this policy on autopilot; it must also provide institutional
structure, budgetary support, and conceptual legitimacy to the policy. more
The Importance of Pakistan & The Eurozone and Transatlantic Relations
Aug 01, 2012 to Aug 08, 2012
Robert Hathaway, Wilson Center's Asia Program Director; Michael Kugelman, Asia Program Associate; Klaus Larres, the Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professor in History and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. more
The U.S. Should Not Abandon Pakistan
Jan 10, 2012Robert M. Hathaway argues that the US must not abandon efforts in Pakistan. He instead recommends continued economic aid, directed and monitored by skilled technical experts, with Pakistani co-investment and emphasis on job growth. more
Pages
Kerry in Asia: Fleshing Out the Rebalance
Apr 12, 2013Newly-minted Secretary of State John Kerry is in Asia this week amidst a rising sense of crisis prompted by weeks of bellicose rhetoric and increasingly dangerous threats by regional bad boy North Korea.
Why the U.S. Should Give Pyongyang Breathing Space
Apr 02, 2013North Korea's provocative behavior may be part of a larger effort to break out of diplomatic isolation and economic dependency on China by pressuring Washington to return to the negotiating table. Commentary co-authored by Jane Harman, Robert Hathaway, and James Person.
Is Pakistan's Condition Terminal?
Mar 27, 2013Program director Robert M. Hathaway weighs in on Pakistan's troubled future.
Statement on North Korea’s Nuclear Test
Feb 12, 2013
The U.S. Should Not Abandon Pakistan
Jan 10, 2012Robert M. Hathaway argues that the US must not abandon efforts in Pakistan. He instead recommends continued economic aid, directed and monitored by skilled technical experts, with Pakistani co-investment and emphasis on job growth.
Why Pakistan still needs U.S. assistance
Dec 02, 2011Pakistan's location, military might, and links to Islamist terrorists ensure that it will remain central to U.S. interests even after NATO forces depart Afghanistan. Writing Pakistan out of the U.S. foreign policy script is not an option, say Jane Harman and Robert Hathaway in a co-authored piece for The Washington Post.
Disgruntled Washington awaits President Lee
Oct 12, 2011When President Lee Myung-bak visits Washington this week, he will find his American hosts in something of a funk. The U.S. capital is a sour, cranky place these days, accurately reflecting the mood of the vast majority of Americans.
2013 IFES-WWICS Washington Forum on Korea
June 14, 2013 // 9:30am — 3:30pm
Keynoted by Ambassador Glyn Davies, the 2013 IFES-WWICS Washington Forum on Korea will also include a roundtable discussion on leadership changes in East Asia moderated by veteran ABC anchor Sam Donaldson and a panel on North Korea's crisis diplomacy.
China Goes Global: The Partial Power
February 19, 2013 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
Most global citizens are well aware of the explosive growth of the Chinese economy. Indeed, China has famously become the "workshop of the world." Yet, while China watchers have shed much light on the country's internal dynamics--China's politics, its vast social changes, and its economic development--few have focused on how this increasingly powerful nation has become more active and assertive throughout the world. Check out the webcast here!
The Second Annual IFES–WWICS Washington Forum “Security and Development on the Korean Peninsula”
November 02, 2011 // 10:00am — 3:00pm
The IFES-WWICS Forum seeks to bring a broader historical perspective to current issues affecting the Korean peninsula by conveying the importance of deep historical continuities in DPRK policies.
Impact of U.S.-China Relations in Asia: Regional Views
September 20, 2010 // 9:00am — 5:30pm
The relationship between the United States and China is considered by many as "one of the most important...in the world." Nowhere today does this statement ring louder than in Asia. What are the implications of Sino-U.S. relations for the economic, political, and security structures of interstate relations in Asia? Read more to find out!
Roundtable Discussion with Delegation from Central Party School of China
May 12, 2011 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Delegation from the Central Party School of China and Wilson Center experts discussed China's legislative reforms on the local level and the role of Congress in shaping foreign policy in the United States.
Foreign Policy Challenges in 2010: The Islamic Crescent
January 29, 2010 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Experts on U.S. policy in Iran, Pakistan, the Arab-Israeli conflict and U.S. national security discuss current and future U.S. policy in the region.
Completing the Asia Pivot
Nov 19, 2012President Barack Obama has made “pivoting” or “rebalancing” of U.S. policies toward Asia one of his strategic priorities. The next administration must not simply maintain this policy on autopilot; it must also provide institutional
structure, budgetary support, and conceptual legitimacy to the policy.
Running on Empty: Pakistan's Water Crisis
Sep 12, 2011In a nation facing many challenges, Pakistan’s crisis of water resources stands out. This publication, edited by Asia Program associate Michael Kugelman and director Robert M. Hathaway, examines the rural and urban manifestations of Pakistan’s water problems, and offers recommendations to alleviate the country’s widespread water stress.
Reaping the Dividend
Jul 07, 2011Running on Empty: Pakistan's Water Crisis
Jul 07, 2011Security Roundtable: Dealing with Outliers
May 15, 2013 to May 22, 2013
We convene our security roundtable to discuss the best ways to deal with the “outlier states” of North Korea and Iran with Haleh Esfandiari, Robert Hathaway, and Robert Litwak.
The Importance of Pakistan & The Eurozone and Transatlantic Relations
Aug 01, 2012 to Aug 08, 2012
Robert Hathaway, Wilson Center's Asia Program Director; Michael Kugelman, Asia Program Associate; Klaus Larres, the Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professor in History and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Japan's Nuclear Nightmare
Apr 04, 2011 to Apr 10, 2011
Robert Hathaway is director of the Wilson Center's Asia program. Bob served for 12 years on the staff for the foreign affairs committee of the US House of Representatives. Robert Litwak is the Center's vice president for programs and director of International Security Studies. A former director of non-proliferation for the National Security Council, Rob is also a consultant to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Nobuo Fukuda is the Japan scholar at the Wilson Center. Nobuo is a journalist with more than 25 years of experience with the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
Pakistan and America: Can the Twain Meet?
Oct 12, 2009 to Oct 18, 2009
Riaz Khan, former Foreign Secretary for Pakistan and a former Pakistan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, William Milam, former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and a Senior Policy Scholar at the Wilson Center, and Robert Hathaway, diplomatic historian and director of the Center's Asia Program
Pakistan and America: Can the Twain Meet
Sep 21, 2009 to Sep 27, 2009
Riaz Khan, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and a current Pakistan Scholar of the Woodrow Wilson Center.William Milam, former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and a Senior Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Robert Hathaway, diplomatic historian and director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Pakistan and America: Can the Twain Meet
May 18, 2009 to May 24, 2009
Riaz Khan, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and a current Pakistan Scholar of the Woodrow Wilson Center.William Milam, former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and a Senior Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Robert Hathaway, diplomatic historian and director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Securing the Korean Peninsula
Feb 16, 2004 to Feb 22, 2004
Robert Hathaway is Director of the Asia Program at the WWC; Katherine Moon is Associate Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College; Victor Cha is Associate Professor of Government at Georgetown University.
Korea: The Problems of a Peninsula
May 21, 2013
Robert Hathaway is Director of the Asia Program at the WWC; Katherine Moon is Associate Professor in Political Science at Wellesley College; Victor Cha is Associate Professor of Government at Georgetown University.
Pakistan, Indonesia: New Directions
May 21, 2013
Robert Hathaway is the Director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, D.C.