Minh Phuong Vu is a PhD candidate at the Department of International Relations. Her research interest ranges from foreign policy analysis, territorial disputes in the South China Sea to Southeast Asian security and alignment tendencies. Minh's doctoral thesis examines the evolution of Vietnam’s foreign policy and perception of the national interests after the Cold War, focusing on exploring the effects of lessons of history on contemporary policy decisions. Minh holds a Master of International Relations from the ANU and a Bachelor of International Studies from the University of Wollongong (UOW).