Introduction

For over two decades, one of Pacific Forum’s priorities has been the development of the next generation of Asia-Pacific scholars and policy practitioners. An underappreciated component of that effort is the Asia-Pacific Affairs Leadership (APAL) program, which focuses on nurturing young leaders with an enduring connection to the state of Hawai’i. Hawai’i has a unique relationship with the Asia-Pacific, a product of its location at the center of the Pacific Ocean, its status as the most western US state, rich ethnic diversity born of the many communities with Asia-Pacific roots, and the fact that it hosts the headquarters of the Pacific Command.

The APAL program has enjoyed generous support from the Takitani Foundation, which seeks to help young people in Hawai’i acquire an understanding of the state’s unique situation, be better prepared to contribute to a future in which this region plays a larger global role, and articulate its perspectives to the world. This year’s carefully selected cohort met every month, where they joined experts and officials in discussions of issues. Speakers included senior Pacific Forum staff, University of Hawai’i professors, a state senator, a foreign diplomat and an expert on regional nonprofits and philanthropy. The program aimed to give them a broad cross-section of views regarding key concerns, to both learn from those experts as well as give participants the opportunity to share their perspectives on these topics.

Their primary assignment was a research paper on an issue of interest to them. Those papers make up the bulk of this volume. They cover a wide range of topics, ranging from gender-based violence to deepsea mining. All make clear the authors’ interest in and passion about these topics. They also evidence a deep commitment to Hawaiian perspectives: program participants are acutely aware of Hawai’i’s intimate relationship with the environment and the circumstances that shape the island’s engagement with the wider world.

Half of our APAL cohort also made a short research trip to Japan. There, they heard experts provide Japan’s perspective on the region and the world, with considerable attention to relations with the United States. They met members of the Pacific Forum’s Tokyo Young Leaders chapter, another of our next-gen initiatives. In a moderated discussion, the young people shared perspectives and then participated in a tabletop exercise that addressed a regional security crisis. They later met Kusama Tsuyoshi, a member of Japan’s parliament, and after discussions with him, he led them on a tour of the Diet. They also visited cultural sites ranging from shrines and temples to the Team Lab art space. Participants’ trip reports make up the final section of this publication. (The trip agenda and simulation are included in appendices.)

This year’s APAL cohort underscored the importance of nurturing the next generation of young professionals on Hawai’i. Ours was a group of budding professionals with a passion for learning and promoting Hawaiian perspectives on regional issues. They are quick to seize opportunities and eager to engage. They learned a lot from the opportunities afforded to them in the APAL program – as did all the people with which they interacted. We look forward to working with them and with future APAL cohorts, preparing them and Hawai’i for a future in which they play increasingly vital roles.

A special thanks goes to Amelia Hegstrom, a 2026 summer intern at the Pacific Forum for her outstanding work for putting this publication together.

Brad Glosserman

Senior Advisor

Pacific Forum International

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

STRENGTHENING INDO-PACIFIC RELATIONS THROUGH HAWAI’I PACIFIC SISTER-CITY PARTNERSHIPS

INDO-PACIFIC INFORMATION COMPETITION AND HAWAI’I’S STRATEGIC ROLE

TOWARD ISLAND-INFORMED GISCIENCE IN INDO-PACIFIC SECURITY OPERATIONS

HAWAI’I: WHERE BIG PROBLEMS COLLIDE

PICL MEDIATING ECONOMIC SECURITY THROUGH THE OCEAN OF PEACE DECLARATION BETWEEN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AND EXTERNAL POWERS

EMPOWERING THE INDO-PACIFIC: ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION IN HAWAI‘I, FIJI AND THE PHILIPPINES

DEEP SEA-BED MINING, HAWAIʻI’S OPPOSITION AND THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPACTS OF US DSM EFFORTS

FOOD SECURITY: A CASE STUDY OF HAWAI’I

PREDATORY GOVERNANCE OR PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP? RISK-SHIFTING AND WORKER AGENCY IN THE PALM SCHEME AND BEYOND

TOKYO RELECTIONS FROM THE 2026 APAL YOUNG LEADERS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

APPENDIX A: THE NEXT-GENERATION TOKYO STUDY TOUR

APPENDIX B: SIMULATION

________________________________________________________________________________________________

About the Authors

REYCAJEN MAGBULOS is an undergraduate student at Hawai’i Pacific University majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Anthropology, Development & Sustainability and a minor in Japanese.

CONNOR MCKENZIE currently serves as a research assistant with the Pacific Forum, a non-profit foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu. Born and raised in Honolulu, HI, he attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science, and recently received his M.A. in International Relations at American University’s School of International Service through their online program. Connor taught English from 2016 to 2019 as an assistant language teacher with the JET Program. Upon returning, Connor served as an administrative assistant at the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu. His international experience also includes a semester with the study abroad program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

KEEGAN KESSLER is a 2026 Hawai’i Asia-Pacific Affairs Leadership Program participant from Wailua, Kaua’i. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography and Environment at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she also earned her M.A. She received a B.A. in Geography and Japanese from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. Her research interests include Pacific studies, Indigenous methodologies, and GIS.

KYLA LEE is a cybersecurity and defense technology professional based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, with a background in computer science and information systems. Her work focuses on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development in support of national security and the Indo-Pacific region. She is also actively involved in community and professional organizations that expand access to STEM education, technical training, mentorship, and career opportunities for students and emerging professionals across Hawaiʻi. Through her work, Kyla is committed to strengthening Hawaiʻi’s role in technology, defense innovation, and regional leadership.

KYLAR CADE is a future public servant who is interested in mediation and public administration at the international level. Several pieces of his on matters pertaining or relevant to Pacific Islands have been published. He received his B.A. in International Relations from IE University in Spain.

DIPSHAY KRISHNAN REDDY is a first generation student from Fiji, on a full ride by the US Department of States’ US South Pacific Scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies. Within APAL, his research focused on Gender-based Violence in Asia and Pacific with focus on Hawai’i, Fiji and the Philippines. He is a passionate scholar who is committed towards peace and security in Asia Pacific region.

CONRAD MORGAN is an environmental educator and activist who has been fighting to protect the ocean since 2017. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Communication Studies from Westmont College in 2023 Conrad spent two years as the Action Specialist for Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi while also engaging in local and international education, advocacy, and policy oriented around plastic pollution, Deep Sea-bed Mining, and climate security in the Pacific. Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, he finds hope in looking to kūpuna and traditional ways of knowing and being as the foundational framework for reorienting our relationship to ʻāina and one another as we work towards a climate-secure future for the Pacific and world. His work is oriented by the understanding that what is best for our oceans’ health and wellbeing is also what is best for humanity, our world, and for future generations.

QUINN SAKIHARA is a recent graduate from the University of Hawai’i Manoa, where he got a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology with a focus on Cultural Anthropology. He has a passion for Hawai’i and the issues that occupy life in the state.

NATAN MARIUSZ MAZUR is a first-year finance and international relations undergraduate at the University of Hawai’i. Originally from Poland and raised on the island of Oahu, Natan is trilingual and aspires to join the U.S. Foreign Service as a diplomat.

Media: Getty Image