Nicholas Szechenyi

Vice President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Senior Fellow, Japan Chair
Nicholas Szechenyi

Nicholas Szechenyi is vice president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and senior fellow with the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He also served as deputy director of the Japan Chair from 2005 to 2022. His research interests include Japanese politics and foreign policy, U.S.-Japan relations, and U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to joining CSIS in 2005, he was a news producer for Fuji Television in Washington, D.C., where he covered U.S. policy in Asia and domestic politics. He holds an MA in international economics and Japan studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a BA in Asian studies from Connecticut College. He lived in Japan for six years and speaks fluent Japanese.

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In the News 8 of 116 results

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Nicholas Szechenyi appearance on CBC Listen — October 28, 2025

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State of Play

How did Japan Navigate Trump's Pressure on Iran?

Nick Szechenyi joins Will to discuss what Takaichi had hoped to achieve in her visit, how she handled Trump's pressure, and the playbook she's developing for U.S. allies.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman and Nicholas Szechenyi — March 20, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS

State of Play: The Global Impact of the SCOTUS Decision on IEEPA Tariffs

On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court declared President Donald Trump’s use of IEEPA to impose global tariffs against U.S. trading partners illegal. CSIS experts assess how governments and key sectors around the world are likely to interpret and react to the decision.

Commentary by CSIS Scholars — February 20, 2026

Audio Briefs

State of Play: The Global Impact of the SCOTUS Decision on IEEPA Tariffs

An audio version of “⁠State of Play: The Global Impact of the SCOTUS Decision on IEEPA Tariffs⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Victor Cha, Nicholas Szechenyi, Oge Onubogu, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Charles Edel, Scott Kennedy, Ilaria Mazzocco, Henrietta Levin, Bonny Lin, Federico Steinberg, Richard M. Rossow, Kristi Govella, Mona Yacoubian, and Gregory B. Poling. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by CSIS Scholars — February 20, 2026

Audio Briefs
State of Play

Emergency Episode: PM Takaichi's Landslide Victory in Japan

Nick Szechenyi joins Will to analyze the geopolitical consequences of Sanae Takaichi's resounding victory in the February 8 Japanese general elections.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman and Nicholas Szechenyi — February 10, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Takaichi Dominates Japan’s Lower House Election

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s landslide election win gives her a sweeping mandate to pursue a conservative policy agenda and sets the stage for a high-profile summit with President Trump.

Critical Questions by Yuko Nakano and Nicholas Szechenyi — February 9, 2026

Audio Briefs

Takaichi Dominates Japan’s Lower House Election

An audio version of ⁠Takaichi Dominates Japan’s Lower House Election⁠, a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Yuko Nakano and Nicholas Szechenyi. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Yuko Nakano and Nicholas Szechenyi — February 9, 2026

Audio Briefs

2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Join the CSIS Japan Chair in collaboration with The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) for the 2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Event — January 23, 2026

Indo-Pacific Forecast 2026

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy (GFP) Department's annual preview of political, economic, and security developments across the region.

Event — January 14, 2026