Kenji Matei Obayashi

Kenji Matei Obayashi is a recent graduate of the Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives at KU Leuven in Belgium, where he specialized in the European Union's external actions towards the Indo-Pacific region, EU-China relations, and EU-Japan relations. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Laws at Keio University, Graduate School of Law, Political Science. His focus includes transatlantic relations from the Cold War to the present and Japan's foreign security policy. He is expected to complete his degree in February 2025.

From 2020 to 2023, Kenji completed traineeships at several Japanese think-tanks specializing in international security. 

Since October 2024, Kenji has been working as a Schuman Trainee at the Secretariat of the European Parliament, Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union in Brussels. In this role, he supports Members of the European Parliament and delegations for relations with 30 parliaments across Asia and Oceania (AANZ).

Upon completing his traineeship in February 2025, Kenji plans to pursue PhD studies in Europe. His research will analyze the EU’s political and security engagement towards the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on the policy process among the EU institutions and its member states.