Programme

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

1730-1800

Registration for 38APR welcoming dinner Hilton Kuala Lumpur

1800-1815

Dinner address by YB Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Haji Hasan Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia

1815-2000

Welcoming dinner

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

0800-0915

Registration Hilton Kuala Lumpur

0915-0930

Opening remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah ISIS Malaysia Chairman

0930-1100

War, peace & the Asia-Pacific Plenary 1

While the Asia-Pacific continues to be a hub of global economic growth and innovation, the risks of conflicts, including wars, remain. Adjacent to the region, wars continue to afflict parts of West Asia, North Africa and Europe. How do conflicts outside the region impact on the strategic calculus of policymakers in the Asia-Pacific? Have they impacted on the normative and ideological considerations that influence peace, security and conflict in this region? Has the threshold or tolerance for conflict changed in the Asia- Pacific? How do we address the trust deficits that could lead to conflicts?

Instigator

Dr Happymon Jacob
Founder & Director
Council for Strategic & Defence Research (CSRD)
India

Speakers

Amb Chan Heng Chee
Ambassador-at-Large
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Singapore

Dr Steven Everts
Director
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
France

Suzannah Jessep
Chief Executive
Asia New Zealand Foundation
New Zealand

Prof Takahara Akio
Emeritus Professor
University of Tokyo
Japan

1100-1130

Refreshments

1130-1300

Dynamics of contemporary leadership in Southeast Asia Plenary 2

A strong convergence of interests among Southeast Asia’s leaders was crucial in laying the groundwork for regional cooperation, from the founding of ASEAN to the expansion of its centrality through various mechanisms. Over the past two years, almost all member states have seen new leadership, setting the stage for new intra-ASEAN dynamics. To what extent do personality driven policies shape Southeast Asia’s dynamics? Do today’s leaders prioritise ASEAN as their predecessors did? How do leaders relate to each other, if at all? Is there enough cohesion for a convergence of interests?

Instigator

Susannah Patton
Director
Southeast Asia Program
Lowy Institute
Australia

Speakers

Dr Chanintira na Thalang
Faculty of Political Science
Thammasat University
Thailand

Prof Kuik Cheng-Chwee
Professor of International Relations
Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS)
National University of Malaysia (UKM)

Prof Herman Kraft
Department of Political Science
University of Philippines Diliman

Amb Dr Rizal Sukma
Senior Fellow
Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
Indonesia

Trinh Minh Manh
Acting Director General
Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies
Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

1300-1430

Lunch

1430-1600

Mapping ‘boundaries’: perspectives of maritime security Concurrent session 1

Maritime challenges and tensions are increasingly being shaped by different perspectives of security – political, legal, and intellectual. These conceptual divergences have at times hampered any tangible progress on outstanding disputes. How do states define “maritime security” and to what extent does it shape conflict? Are international maritime laws and norms at risk as countries prioritise their national interests at the expense of the global commons? How can Track 2 actors encourage greater collaboration and cohesion on shared security issues like maritime safety, economy and ecology amid contested environments?

Speakers

Dr Asyura Salleh
Associate Programme Officer
Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Assoc Prof Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby
Department of International Studies
De La Salle University
The Philippines

Dr Do Thanh Hai
Deputy Director General
East Sea Institute
Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

Professor Stuart Kaye
Director, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources
University of Wollongong
Australia

1430-1600

Evolving geopolitics of minilateralism Concurrent session 2

Minilateralism has shifted from being a response to stagnant multilateralism to a proactive strategy driven by like-minded states. While it can be an agile tool for power projection and shaping the regional and global order, critics contend that it perpetuates a less inclusive form of collaboration. Is minilateralism an effective tool for geopolitics or does it simply perpetuate exclusion and antagonism? Could minilateralism strengthen nuanced and targeted cooperation, paving the way for effective multilateralism or will it render the latter obsolete? Can one exist without the other?

Instigator

Dr Joel Ng
Research Fellow & Head
Centre for Multilateralism Studies
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Singapore

Speakers

Dr Giuseppe Gabusi
University of Turin
Italy

Dr Pongphisoot Busbarat
Director
Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Thailand

Dr Kirill Babaev
Director
Institute of Far Eastern Studies
Russian Academy of Sciences

1600-1620

Refreshments

1620-1750

China Plus One: reshaping global supply chains Plenary 3

The diversification of supply chains out of China in recent years has gained widespread attention to mitigate risks associated with the evolving geopolitical landscape. This is particularly evident in the electronics industry, including semiconductors. Is China Plus One driven solely by the US-China rivalry or are there other factors? How are China Plus One strategies playing out in Southeast Asia, and is the region still a major beneficiary of major-power competition? Are current trends an indication of a possible deglobalisation or re-globalisation?

Instigator

Assoc Prof Simon Tay
Chairman
Singapore Institute of International Affairs

Speakers

YB Liew Chin Tong
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)
Malaysia

Prof Danny Quah
Dean & Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore

Prof Dr Volker Perthes
Senior Distinguierend Fellow
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (German Institute for International &
Security Affairs)
Germany

Professor Jane Golly
Head
Arndt-Corden Department of Economics
Crawford School of Public Policy
Australian National University

1800-1930

Dinner

Thursday, 19 June 2025

0800-0915

Registration Hilton Kuala Lumpur

0915

Arrival of The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim Prime Minister of Malaysia

0915-1030

Keynote address by The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim Prime Minister of Malaysia

1030-1100

Refreshments

1100-1230

The Myanmar crisis: the road ahead Plenary 4

Four years after the coup, which triggered the crisis in Myanmar, the country remains deeply divided. Displacement and suffering are widespread, while the economy has collapsed and assorted actors now control swathes of the country. Despite ongoing conversations on a new federal system, the prospects of a Balkanised or fragmented Myanmar remains a possibility. How have battlefield developments impacted on political equations or processes? Where is the most urgent humanitarian assistance required and how can stakeholders address this? How can ASEAN and other international actors respond to the complex dynamics at play in 2025 and beyond?

Instigator

Dr Lina Alexandra
Head
Department of International Relations
Centre for Strategic & International Studies
Indonesia

Speakers

Arnaud de Baecque
Resident Representative in Myanmar
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Fuadi Pitsuwan
President
Surin Pitsuwan Foundation
Thailand

Liliane Fan
Co-Founder and International Director
Geutanyoe Foundation
Malaysia

1230-1400

Lunch

1400-1530

The United States in a changing Asia Plenary 5

Asia is navigating an era of heighted competition, economic realignment and the rise of minilateral partnerships. The US has maintained a strong presence in the region through a network of alliances over the past 75 years but faces a more complex and competitive strategic environment today. What are the emerging priorities and implications of American policies in Asia? How would Washington pursue its economic engagements in the region? How are regional stakeholders, including partners and multilateral groupings, responding to the changing dynamics?

Instigator

Prof Thitinan Pongsudhirak
Faculty of Political Science
Chulalongkorn University
Thailand

Speakers

Elina Noor
Senior Fellow
Asia Program
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
USA

Dr Choi Kang
President
ASAN Institute for Policy Studies
Republic of Korea

Lisa Curtis
Senior Fellow & Director
Indo-Pacific Security Program
Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
USA

Ashok Malik
Partner & Chair of India Practice
The Asia Group
India

1530-1545

Closing reflections by Jusuf Wanandi Senior Fellow & Co-founder, Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia

1545-1600

Closing remarks by Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah ISIS Malaysia Chairman

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Thursday, 19 June 2025

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