Get to know us
EsaรaGate LLC was born in 2019, just before the world began grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic. Esara, or Esaรa, is the Thai word (อิสระ) for no limits, independence, and freedom. The “ร” in Esaรa makes the R sound in Thai and is symbolic in the Thai alphabet for the “boat,” a symbol of freedom. Gate is short for gateway. EsaรaGate therefore means “gateway with no limits,’ “gateway to independence,” or “gateway to freedom.” This is how we conceive EsaรaGate LLC. EsaรaGate LLC was therefore formed to 1) assist individuals and organizations in understanding and becoming more successful in East Asia, both Northeast and Southeast Asia, and 2) assist those in East Asia along their pathways of development.
About the Founder
Dr. David A. Owen, the founder of EsaรaGate LLC, has a career dedicated to public service—from an airman in the U.S. Air Force and civil servant in the federal government to a professor in prestigious universities in East Asia, North America, and Southeast Asia, in addition to volunteering roles at nonprofit organizations tackling the problems of inadequate education and human trafficking in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Owen’s journey began with close to a decade in the U. S. Air Force. During this time, he served in the U.S. Air Force on the Korean Peninsula and mainland Japan, with official travels to many other countries around the region and globe. After leaving the U. S. Air Force, he spent the next 8 years in Asia, teaching at prestigious universities in East Asia and Southeast Asia, in addition to consulting with political parties in Thailand. Dr. Owen holds a Ph.D. in International Politics and Asian Studies from Southern Illinois University, along with various other academic credentials, and is currently an Associate Professor at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Altogether, he has spent approximately 17 years in the following countries: Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Dr. Owen has been teaching since 1998 and has published research articles on political attitudes and behavior in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam in scholarly outlets such as the Journal of Communist and Post-Communist Studies, the Journal of Chinese Politics Science and Asian Politics and Policy, to name a few. Finally, Dr. Owen maintains a high level of fluency in the central Thai language as he communicates in the Thai language almost daily.
