On 29 and 30 August 2025, about a dozen YCAPS members attended the Pacific Future Forum, an event hosted on HMS Prince of Wales during the UK aircraft carrier’s historic port visit in Tokyo. Two YCAPS members sat on the plenary panel discussions held at the forum. YCAPS Senior Research Fellow, Dr Keizo Kitagawa spoke at the panel discussion titled “From Land to Sea – Battlefield Innovations in an Indo-Pacific Context,” and and Executive Director, Dr John Bradford spoke on the panel “A Free and Open Pacific.”
In addition, seven YCAPS attendees were invited to the Young Leaders’ Roundtable, a side-bar event during the forum that addressed “Pathways to Uncertainty – The Future of the Indo-Pacific.” YCAPS members present at that roundtable included YCAPS President Brian Waidelich, Social Media Administrator Elif Sercen Nurcan, Maritime Security Network Coordinator Ivy Ganadillo, Okinawa Chapter Leader Luc Maccionni and active members Chinguunbold Tsogtgeral, Mio Ando and Genta Tsukida.
YCAPS appreciated the invitation to support the Pacific Future Forum, as it provided an invaluable opportunity to gain perspectives from allies and partners in government, military, industry, and academia on key issues facing the region.
