Photo of Arzan Tarapore

Arzan Tarapore, PhD

  • Research Scholar at APARC

Shorenstein APARC
Stanford University
Encina Hall
Stanford, CA 94305-6055

Biography

Arzan Tarapore is a Research Scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, where he is charged with restarting APARC's research effort on South Asia.

Tarapore’s research focuses on security issues in South Asia and the rapidly evolving strategic landscape of the wider Indo-Pacific. Prior to his scholarly career, he served for 13 years in the Australian Defence Department in various analytic, management, and liaison positions, including operational deployments and a diplomatic posting to the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC.

His academic work has been published in the Journal of Strategic Studies, The Washington Quarterly, Asia Policy, and Joint Force Quarterly, among others, and his policy commentary frequently appears on platforms such as the Hindu, the Indian Express, The National Interest, the Lowy Institute's Interpreter, the Brookings Institution’s Lawfare, and War on the Rocks.

Tarapore joined APARC in September 2020. He previously held research positions at Georgetown University, the East-West Center in Washington, the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, and the RAND Corporation.

He earned a PhD in war studies from King's College London, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA (Hons) from the University of New South Wales. Follow his commentary on Twitter @arzandc and his website at arzantarapore.com.

publications

Journal Articles
January 2023

Zone Balancing: India and the Quad's New Strategic Logic

Author(s)
Zone Balancing: India and the Quad's New Strategic Logic
Book Chapters
October 2022

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Program

Author(s)
Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Journal Articles
October 2022

Minilateral Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

Author(s)
Minilateral Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

Current research

In The News

World leaders gather at The Quad summit in Tokyo
News

India’s Strategic Balancing Act: The Quad as a Vehicle for Zone Balancing

In a new International Affairs article, APARC South Asia Research Scholar Arzan Tarapore introduces the concept of zone balancing, applies the theory to explain India’s embrace of the Quad, and identifies some of the minilateral partnership’s strategic limitations.
India’s Strategic Balancing Act: The Quad as a Vehicle for Zone Balancing
U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a Quad Leaders Summit at the White House.
News

New Essay Collection Examines Minilateral Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

A new Asia Policy roundtable considers whether and how minilateral groupings, such as the Quad and AUKUS, can deter coercion and aggression in the Indo-Pacific. The roundtable co-editor is APARC South Asia Research Scholar Arzan Tarapore, and it opens with an essay by Center Fellow Oriana Skylar Mastro.
New Essay Collection Examines Minilateral Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific
hands on Iranian flag
News

Fixing Intelligence Failures: The Last Shah, the United States, and the View from Somewhere

Introducing a new conceptual framework for intelligence analysts, South Asia Research Scholar Arzan Tarapore offers an alternative to traditional intelligence-gathering axioms that helps explain the failure of U.S. assessments on the Iranian revolution and may benefit current policymakers in better leveraging intelligence to achieve strategic goals.
Fixing Intelligence Failures: The Last Shah, the United States, and the View from Somewhere
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