Dr. Björn Dressel is an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy and the inaugural Director of the ANU Philippines Institute. His research delves into comparative constitutionalism, judicial politics, governance, and public sector reform across Asia.

He earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he also completed his M.A. Additionally, he holds a law degree from the University of Trier School of Law in Germany, specializing in International Law, European Union Law, and Constitutional Law.

Dr. Dressel is a distinguished recipient of the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Research Award (2013-2019) for his groundbreaking work on judicial politics in Southeast Asia. He currently leads an ARC Discovery Project on "Judicial Loyalties and Resistance in Southeast Asia" (2023-2026).

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Dressel has been a visiting scholar at renowned institutions, including the Asia Foundation (Manila), the Centre for Excellence for International Courts (iCourts) in Denmark, the Centre for Asian and Pacific Studies (Seikei University) in Japan, the Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS) in Thailand, the Institute of Economic Development, Growth & Equity in South Africa, and the Institute for Administration of Justice, College of Law, University of the Philippines.

His expertise has also been sought after by major international organizations. He has served as a consultant for the World Bank, the Brookings Institution, and Chemonics International. He has also been a Professorial Lecturer in International Development at SAIS and an Associate Lecturer at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Dr. Dressel continues to provide advisory services to international development agencies and governments, focusing on public financial management, governance, and rule of law reform. He is also the co-editor of the Asia & Pacific Policy Studies Journal.

His prolific contributions to academic literature include publications in leading international journals such as Governance, Administration & Society, International Political Science Review, and Pacific Review. Many of his works are available on his Academia and ResearchGate profiles. He is the author of "Courts and Politics in Southeast Asia" (CUP, 2024) and the editor of "The Judicialization of Politics in Asia" (Routledge, 2012). Additionally, he has co-edited volumes like "From Aquino II to Duterte (2010-2018): Change, Continuity – and Rupture" (ISEAS, 2019), "Politics and Constitutions in Southeast Asia" (Routledge, 2016), and "Informality and Courts: Comparative Perspectives" (EUP, 2024).

Follow him on Twitter: @BjoernDressel.