The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) hosted a special webinar in September to commemorate our 25th anniversary under the theme — “Hindsight, Insight, Foresight: Celebrating a Legacy to Educate, Connect and Empower.”

The webinar titled “Bridging the Past with the Future” was hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Kunce and Dr. John Hemmings.  The event included two panels featuring expert speakers from within the DKI APCSS alumni network and beyond with dialogue that covered the region’s collective achievements, current challenges, and imagined future of security in the region across the next 25 years.  The discussions were largely shaped by feedback provided by the DKI APCSS alumni network via survey and virtual dialogue prior to the webinar.

DKI APCSS Director Pete Gumataotao spoke to the changes in the region and the Center over the last 25 years highlighting that,  “as we’ve shown in the past 25 years DKI APCSS will continue to be a safe space for security dialogue and collaboration.”

The first panel on “Insight: Current Security Environment included guest speakers: Ms. Nadège Rolland, Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs at the National Bureau for Asian Research;  Mr. Kanehara Nobukatsu, Professor, Doshisha University; and Dr. Tim Buehrer, DKI APCSS.  This panel featured discussion on the current security environment with presentations on: Covid and economic recovery; strategic competition; and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The second panel, “Foresight: The Next 25 Years of Security,” included: Lieutenant General Michael Minihan, Deputy Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Ms. Amanda Ellis, New Zealand’s Head of Mission and Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva (2013-16) & Current Director, Global Partnership, Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University; and retired U.S. Navy Admiral Scott Swift,  The Swift Group. This panel featured discussion on the future security environment with presentations on: strengthening regional and inter-regional cooperation and communication; the future of multilateral organizations and inclusive security; and the evolution of traditional security actors and institutions.