CNSP German Fellow
Melanie Franzen is a career diplomat for the Federal Republic of Germany. She has a background in security policy having served as a political officer at the NATO desk in Berlin from 2021 to 2024. Among her responsibilities were NATO-Ukraine relations, preparing for NATO summits and strengthening the defense industrial base. In this role, Melanie has been part of shaping the German “Zeitenwende” – a significant shift in Germany’s military and security policy. Currently, she is serving as head of the Cultural Affairs Section at the German embassy in Washington, D.C. Previously, she also worked as a political officer at the German embassy in Cairo/Egypt. She holds a Master’s Degree in Arab World Studies from Edinburgh University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Heidelberg. During high school, she spent a year in Angola, Indiana, as an exchange student.
Contact: mfrazen@mit.edu | Office: E40-468
CNSP Japanese Fellow
Sazuki Ide is a defense official at Japan’s Ministry of Defense engaged in practical international defense cooperation, working across policy, operational, and defense equipment and technology domains. She joined the Ministry in April 2021 after graduating from Waseda University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics. She began her career in the Okinawa Cooperation Division, where she was involved in policy coordination concerning U.S. Forces Japan, including matters related to the Japan–U.S. Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA). She subsequently served in the Japan–U.S. Defense Cooperation Division, where she contributed to the formulation and coordination of policies for high-level bilateral frameworks, including ministerial-level defense meetings and Japan–U.S. “2+2” consultations. She was later seconded to the Okinawa Defense Bureau in Okinawa Prefecture, where she was responsible for on-site coordination among U.S. forces, local authorities, and communities. In this capacity, she supported senior leadership in managing sensitive operational situations, including the response to the 2023 CV-22 Osprey mishap. After returning to Tokyo, she worked on Indo-Pacific cooperation policy, covering regions including the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America. Her work focused on advancing practical defense cooperation, including regular bilateral engagements, capacity building and unit-level exchanges. Currently serving at the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), she is engaged in advancing international defense equipment and technology cooperation, including defense equipment transfers and coordination with foreign acquisition authorities. She also contributes to promoting Japanese defense equipment overseas, strengthening defense industrial cooperation in light of recent revisions to Japan’s defense equipment and technology transfer system.
Office: E40-468
CNSP French Fellow
Pauline Lévy works at the French Ministry of Armed Forces, where she specializes on nuclear policy. Prior to this, she has worked as a research assistant on nuclear and conventional disarmament at the Foundation for Strategic Research; the French Institute for International Relations; the Institute for Strategic Research at the Military School and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. She holds a Masters degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Bordeaux.
Contact: levyp108@mit.edu | Office: E40-468
CNSP Norwegian Fellow
Ingeborg Løkling is a historian with a solid background in defence and security policy work. She has previous experience from journalism and public communications.
Contact: ingeblok@mit.edu | Office: E40-468