Unity of nations: Ian Ishiyama’s experience as a Regional Securities Studies intern in Hawaii

Ian Ishiyama (IPP ‘24) opened his email to see that he had been accepted as a Regional Security Studies Intern at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center of Security Studies in Hawaii. The center addresses regional and global security issues, inviting military and civilian representatives of the U.S. and Asia-Pacific nations to programs and workshops. Part of its work is to encourage nations to consider treaties or alliances with America.

Ian believes he got this impressive internship largely because of PHC’s study abroad program. He took advantage of the program during Spring 2023, when he studied for a semester in Prague at Charles University, the second-oldest university in Europe. This enabled him to express his love of and experience with the exchange of cultures in his internship application.

During the internship, Ian had many responsibilities, one of which was to write a research paper. Attracted by the term and use of "soft power," he began in-depth research on it, utilizing the center’s library to do so. He learned more about how soft power affects outcomes through attraction and shared value and how it differs from hard power, which controls outcomes through either coercion or inducement, such as money or force.

One of the faculty members at the center was Dr. Alex Vuving, a Vietnamese professor and a good friend of Joseph Nye, the inventor of the term "soft power." Part of Dr. Vuving’s expertise is on operationalizing soft power. “I read his papers and talked to Vuving in person, which was really cool,” Ian said.

During the internship, Ian was also a timekeeper. Between seminars, everyone would go outside to chat. Ian would stand there, keeping an eye on the clock and updating the guests on the time. He would say things like, “Hey, just letting you know, you’ve got five minutes left.” The guests jokingly began to call him “Timekeeper.”

Ian also helped guests, some of whom were five-star generals, with technical difficulties. He was rewarded with the friendship of many and the gift of a pen by one gentleman from the Maldives. 

At the center, many people spoke different languages and came from various cultural backgrounds, yet they all got along, sharing knowledge and hearing each other’s thoughts honestly. For Ian, this was his dream internship.

 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.