Maximilian Ernst is an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) at the Brussels School of Governance.
Maximilian‘s research focuses on Indo-Pacific security, in particular Chinese statecraft towards the Asia-Pacific region. His PhD dissertation explains China’s choice to coerce Asia-Pacific states in the context of the Sino-American strategic competition. Maximilian’s research has appeared in journals such as the North Korean Review, Naval War College Review, Defence Studies, Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies, and the Journal of Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies, among others.
Previously, Maximilian was a transatlantic research fellow at the American German Institute (AGI) and a Next Generation Korea Peninsula Security Specialist with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). He received his PhD in 2023 from the VUB and holds an M.A from Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies and a B.A. from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz.