James Gomez

Dr James Gomez is the Regional Director of the Asia Centre, a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC.

He presently oversees Asia Centre operations across its four offices in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, two offices in Bangkok,Thailand and an honorary office in Seoul, Republic of Korea. He leads the global partnerships for the Centre’s activities in the Asian region.

He brings to this current role three decades of strong regional and international networks. As well as his extensive experience in leadership roles within international NGOs, intergovernmental organisations, public and private universities, research institutes and think-tanks.

He is a specialist in political communications, evidence-based research advocacy, and the societal impact on ethno-religious minorities in Asia. He is well-known for his analysis of authoritarian regimes’ influence in the Asia-Pacific. He is an advocate for the development of democratic governance, human rights institutions and artificial intelligence literacy through civil society-led initiatives in Asia.

In recognition of his work, Dr Gomez has been awarded the Korean Democracy Fellowship from the Korea Foundation in 2018, appointed Global Democracy Goodwill Ambassador for the Korean Democracy Foundation for 2025–2026.

Dr James Gomez holds a PhD (Monash University, Australia), MA (University of Essex, United Kingdom) and BSc. (Hons.) (National University of Singapore).