YCAPS is thrilled to invite Dr. Yoichiro Sato, Dr. Barbara Kratiuk and Dr. Stephen Nagy to discuss NATO’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. In this Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue, the speakers will explore NATO’s evolving interest in the Indo-Pacific as the alliance has moved to enhance its presence in the region and cooperation with its partners in the region such as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Especially critical to the alliance’s efforts in the region is the role of US-Japan relations in shaping its strategy. Recent political setbacks for the ruling Japanese coalition government and a return to the Trump presidential administration will put NATO’s resolve in the region to the test. This seminar will dissect NATO’s rhetoric versus its actions in the region, examining implications for security, alliance cohesion, and regional stability.

For more information, please see the event page.

YCAPS is happy to invite Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy for our latest Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue to present on EU-Taiwan relations. Brussels has secured a place for “Taiwan as a partner” in its political discourse. This dynamic can’t be understood in a vacuum. It is important to situate the relationship in the larger geopolitical picture, particularly considering the implications of China’s support to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Taiwan has also sought to better position itself vis-à-vis Europe by engaging member states, in particular in Central Eastern Europe, and by engaging the EU as a bloc.

Dr. Ferenczy will also present on her recently published book, "Partners in Peace. Why Europe and Taiwan Matter to Each Other." In her book she explores how global dynamics, in particular the China-Russia strategic alignment, are shaping EU-Taiwan relations in the framework of the Indo-Pacific.

For more information, please see the event page.

Asst. Prof. Jeffrey Payne, together with discussant Dr. Premesha Saha, will lead this free seminar in the YCAPS Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue. They will discuss the US approach to the Indian Ocean within the context of its larger Indo-Pacific strategy. U.S. policy towards the Indo-Pacific is primarily perceived through its approaches to via the Pacific Ocean, but when considering U.S. perspectives on the Indo-Pacific it is essential not to overlook the Indian Ocean Region. U.S. engagement in the Indian Ocean must navigate a large set of challenges, immense regional diversity, and bureaucratic seams. Through these variables, a clearer picture of what U.S. aims are, what key engagements are prioritized, and how the Indian Ocean matters to the affairs of the Pacific states. .

For more information, please see the event page.

YCAPS is happy to invite Mr. Konstantin von Eggert, MBE, for our latest Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue to speak about the implications of Russian foreign and domestic policy on the wider Indo-Pacific region. This pertains particularly to the recent deepening of Russian ties with North Korea, its strengthening friendship with China and its overall attempts to destabilize the international order based on the rule of law, including but not limited to its military aggression in Eastern Europe. This session provides policymakers, scholars, and enthusiasts with a valuable opportunity to gain deep insights into the intricate dynamics of Russian domestic and foreign politics and its specific impact on the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information, please see the event page.

YCAPS is happy to invite Dr. Jeffrey Robertson for our latest Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue. In this captivating event, Dr. Robertson will delve into his latest article published in the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter, "Is South Korea’s Indo‑Pacific Strategy a diplomatic lame duck?" on the implications of domestic political developments on the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy. This session promises to be an invaluable opportunity for policymakers, scholars, and enthusiasts alike to gain deep insights into the intricate dynamics of South Korea’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific and especially its relationship with Australia in this context.

For more information, please see the event page.

YCAPS is happy to invite Daniel Wagner for our latest Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue. In this event, Daniel Wagner will delve into his latest work, "The China Epiphany: Comprehending China's Relationship with America and the World." This session promises to be an invaluable opportunity for policymakers, scholars, and enthusiasts alike to gain deep insights into the intricate dynamics of China's relationship with America and its pivotal role on the global stage.

For more information, please see the event page.

The problem of disinformation is becoming more complex at a fast pace, as the spread of disinformation online is becoming easier and the dramatic advances in AI technology, including generative AI, have made it possible for anyone to generate disinformation. Of particular concern is the spread of disinformation by foreign actors. The 2016 U.S. presidential election and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, for example, triggered a growing awareness, especially in Western countries, that proliferation of disinformation by foreign influences is a serious threat to the democratic process. The year 2024 is also an election year, and foreign interference, including disinformation campaigns, will be the focus of much attention.

To help us explore the threat of disinformation and the latest status and challenges of countermeasures, YCAPS' Indo-Pacific Dialogue series is happy to welcome Ms. Kyoko Kuwahara. For more information, please see the event page.

As the Free and Open Indo-Pacific plan has come to be considered the most important asset of Japanese diplomacy in recent years, it has drawn an increasing amount of international attention from practitioners and foreign policy experts. Yet what exactly is Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific? Is it a strategy, or a vision? Is it an anti-China containment plan? Or is it an attempt at establishing a multilateral cooperation framework within the region?

To help us answer these questions and more, YCAPS' Indo-Pacific Dialogue series is happy to welcome Dr. Nanae Baldauff. Dr. Baldauff will delve into the nuances of Japans Free and Open Indo-Pacific, exploring its implications for regional dynamics as well as its potential as a transformative, or an evolutionary foreign policy tool in an era marked both by cooperation and conflict.

For more information please see the event page.

Japan-India relations continue to deepen year-by-year and the significance of the relationship continues to grow. How can we understand this relationship? What are the motivations of Tokyo and New Delhi as they continue to deepen their bilateral relationship?

To help us answer these questions, YCAPS' Indo-Pacific Dialogue series, in collaboration with Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University, is happy to welcome Dr. Chintamani Mahapatra to provide insight on these questions and more. Dr. Chintamani Mahapatra was the Rector of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Professor of American Studies at the School of International Studies of JNU. He is the Founder and Honorary Chairman of Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies and the Editor of Indian Foreign Affairs Journal.

For more information please see the event page.

South Korea under President Yoon Suk Yuel has embraced the Indo-Pacific framing and attempted to re-boot Seoul’s relationship with Tokyo and Washington as a global pivotal state. What does this mean for South Korea? How does Yoon’s South Korea understand its middle power status and function in the Indo-Pacific? Is it sustainable?

To help us answer these questions, YCAPS' Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue is happy to welcome Professor Jeffrey Robertson of Yonsei University to provide insight on these questions and more to glean clarity on South Korea’s diplomatic reset. Jeffrey Robertson is an Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies at Yonsei University. Before academia, he worked for the Australian Government in the field of diplomacy, foreign policy, and North Asia. His research interests include the diplomatic practice and foreign policy of middle powers with a focus on North Asia and the Korean Peninsula. He writes and updates research at https://junotane.substack.com and on Twitter @junotane.

For more information please see the event page. 

YCAPS is thrilled to announce our next event in collaboration with Temple University Japan. This event will feature Dr. Andrew Oros, who will lead us in a discussion about aging populations in Japan and other U.S. allies and adversaries, and its effect on the national security landscape in the Indo-Pacific.

Japan is at the leading edge of an unprecedented population aging and shrinking underway in Northeast Asia, with both fellow security partners of the United States such as South Korea and Taiwan as well as adversaries China, North Korea, and Russia facing similar population changes through 2035. The regional trend of both graying populations and rising gray-zone security challenges sets a new context for regional security competition, which has the result of drawing in a greater number of security partners from the broader Indo-Pacific region and even from Europe. This talk will consider Japan’s new national security strategy (December 2022) within the context of Japan’s graying security landscape.

For more information please see the event page. 

YCAPS’ Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue will host Susannah Patton, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute and the Project Lead for the Asia Power Index to explore the newly published Asia Power Index 2023 and its implications for the Indo-Pacific region to better understand the most comprehensive assessment of the changing distribution of power in Asia so far.

For more information please see the event page. 

YCAPS’ Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue will host Michał Bogusz, and Witold Rodkiewicz --- Authors of “The Beijing-Moscow axis, the foundations of an asymmetric Alliance” and senior fellows of the Centre for Eastern Studies(OSW) to speak about the Russo-China alignment, explore opportunities and challenges between two authoritarian states, and what it means for the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information please see the event page. 

YCAPS’ Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue will host Dr. WANG Yi and Richard McGregor to 20th Party Congress Readout and implications for Indo-Pacific region. This webinar will explore the 20th Party Congress results and implications for the Indo-Pacific and China.

For more information please see the event page. 

YCAPS’ Indo-Pacific Policy Dialogue will host a panel of experts to discuss the May 2022 Tokyo Quad Summit to foster a better understanding of the Quad’s evolution from a multinational perspective and what it means for the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information please see the event page.