Associate Professor of International Relations and Program Chair at Leiden University's Institute for History, he focuses on international human rights norms, global security, and U.S. foreign policy. A Dutch scholar with Filipino roots, he was educated in Germany and the United States. His widely published research has earned accolades such as the 2023 Cecil B. Currey Book Award and the 2023-2024 Best Book in Human Rights - Honorable Mention from the International Studies Association. He has held research fellowships at Yale University, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, and the Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity.