In addition to his affiliation with CAGS, at SGIS he directs the “East Asia and the World” speaker series and is a senior associate at the China Policy Research Institute. Liff’s research and teaching focus on international relations of East Asia—with a particular emphasis on contemporary security affairs; the foreign relations of Japan and China; U.S. policy toward the Asia-Pacific (esp. U.S. security alliances); the continuing evolution of Japan’s postwar security policy profile; and the rise of China and its impact on its region and the world. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Politics from Princeton University, and a B.A. from Stanford University.