Hormuz 2030: The Next Great Chokepoint

Join the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) and Institute for Security & Development Policy (ISDP) for the 9th Europe-Asia Series Online Panel Discussion, “Hormuz 2030: The Next Great Chokepoint,” a timely and forward-looking conversation exploring one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime corridors. Taking place on Friday, May 8, 2026, from 12:30–14:00 (Sweden time) / 19:30–21:00 (Japan time), and hosted by Jagannath Panda (ISDP) and Isak Nordenberg (YCAPS), this event will bring together Capt Sarabjeet S Parmar, Dr. Mark S. Cogan and Dr. Małgorzata Bonikowska to examine the evolving geopolitical, economic, and security dynamics shaping the Strait of Hormuz. As a critical artery for global energy flows, handling roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil, the Strait stands at the intersection of intensifying rivalry among Iran, Israel, and the United States, while powers like China and Russia seek to expand their strategic influence.

This roundtable will unpack whether Hormuz will remain a stable, open and shared waterway or evolve into a recurring flashpoint of coercion, what this means for global markets and supply chains, and how actors such as Japan, India, and the European Union can respond to ensure energy resilience and maritime security. Open to both specialists and those with a general interest, the event offers an interactive, on-the-record forum with expert insights, moderated discussion, and opportunities to engage directly through Q&A.

Please use this link to register via Zoom.

You will need the link and passcode provided in the confirmation email

Speakers:

Capt Sarabjeet S Parmar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1987 and retired on 30 June 2023. He has commanded two ships and a frontline anti-submarine warfare and anti-shipping helicopter squadron. He was member of the XI Indian Antarctic Summer Expedition in 1991, attended the Management Defence Course Conducted by the British Government at Colombo in 2005, and represented the Indian Navy in the first international HOSTAC (helicopter operations from ships other than aircraft carriers) conference held at Norfolk, USA in 2008. He has been a Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and worked in the Indian Navy’s strategic apex level offices where, as Director Strategy was part of the core team published the Indian Navy’s unclassified maritime security strategy document titled Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy in 2015, carried out regional maritime assessments and completed the doctrine development plan. He was the Executive Director and Senior Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation prior retirement. He has written and spoken extensively on maritime security and strategy issues at various national and international conferences and his main areas of research include national and maritime strategy and security related aspects in the Indo-Pacific, piracy, HADR, and international maritime law with a focus on lawfare.

Dr. Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies in the College of Foreign Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. His research interests include Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, as well as security studies, peacebuilding, counter-terrorism, and human rights. He is a former communications specialist with the United Nations, serving in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. His most recent peer-reviewed works include “Thailand’s Soft Power Focus and the Makings of a Paradox”, published in the Asian Affairs: An American Review in 2024 as well as being the guest editor of a Special Issue on Thai Foreign Policy for the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, a professional journal of the Department of the U.S. Air Force. In addition to his research, he has published more than 100 commentaries and policy papers in major newspapers and think tanks, such as East Asia Forum, the Bangkok Post, the South China Morning Post, The Diplomat, The National Interest, and more. His first co-edited volume, “Alternative Approaches on Peacebuilding: Theories and Case Studies”, was published in 2022 with Palgrave MacMillan. His second volume, “Indo-Pacific Diaspora in Peace and Conflict: Unity and Division in the Age of Transnational Repression” is scheduled to be published by Routledge in 2025.

Dr. Małgorzata Bonikowska is the President of The Centre for International Relations, a Polish think-tank. She specializes in international relations (with particular emphasis on the European Union) and communication in public institutions. EU expert, government consultant, and academic fellow, graduated from the Warsaw University (Italian studies), University of Paris-Sorbonne (history and political sciences), and the PWST (State College of Theatre) in cultural history. Alumnus of two Ph.D. programs: in Poland (Polish Academy of Sciences) and abroad (SSSS, Italy), Dr. Bonikowska completed a specialization program at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in New York (Fulbright Scholarship). She is the author of more than 150 publications and a tutor of over 100 BA, MA, and post-graduated thesis.

Webinar Cost: Free of charge
Chair: Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head, Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) and Executive Editor
Co-Chairs: Isak Nordenberg, Events and Activities Support Officer at YCAPS
Format: This event will be on-the-record. Questions are encouraged. It will be recorded.
Registration: Required via this link.
Co-Sponsor: Institute for Security & Development Policy (ISDP)