• Subic SQUAD Forum 2026

  • About the Program

    Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS), in collaboration with La Trobe Asia, the Philippines–Australia Forum, FACTS Asia, We Protect our Seas (WPS), and the University of the Philippines–Diliman Asian Center, invites applications for the Subic SQUAD Forum 2026, themed “Developing Emerging Voices on Regional Security: Positioning the Philippines as a Hub for Regional Security Cooperation.” This program is supported by funding from the United States-Japan Foundation and Australian National University-Philippines Institute.

    The program supports early-career scholars and emerging practitioners from Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and the United States who are working on Indo-Pacific security, defense cooperation, and regional governance. It responds to the Philippines growing strategic role within evolving minilateral and alliance-based security frameworks, particularly the Australia–Philippines–Japan–United States (SQUAD).

    The Subic SQUAD Forum combines online training, mentorship, high-level policy engagement, and in-person collaboration in the Philippines. Participants will engage with senior advisors and peers to develop policy-focused outputs that address practical challenges and opportunities in regional security cooperation.

  • Subic SQUAD Forum News

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    YCAPS SQUAD Forum participates in the 2026 Manila Strategy Forum

    September 18, 2026

    The 2026 Manila Strategy Forum was held in Manila, Philippines, on September 9–10, 2026, hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program. The annual conference forms part of CSIS’s U.S.-Philippines Initiative, which aims to deepen the partnership between the two countries.

    The 2026 Subic SQUAD Forum fellows represented Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) at this conference.

    For full details, please see the blog post here.

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    Subic SQUAD Forum Engages Experts on the West Philippine Sea and Regional Cooperation

    September 16, 2026

    The Subic SQUAD Forum hosted two webinars with experts on the West Philippine Sea and on regional cooperation. Retired Navy Reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad joined us in August to discuss military cooperation in the Philippines and the West Philippine Sea. In September, Prof. Herman Kraft of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Christopher B. Johnstone of the Asia Group discussed the SQUAD and ways to strengthen this minilateral cooperation.

    For full details, please see the blog post here.

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    Invitation to Join the Subic SQUAD Forum 2026

    September 3, 2026

    YCAPS is inviting you to join the Subic SQUAD Forum 2026, taking place from 8–12 November 2026 in Subic and Manila, Philippines. The forum brings together the program's fellows and mentors with invited scholars, practitioners, experts, and regional partners for several days of field visits, expert briefings, policy discussions, and informal exchange.

    For full details, please see the blog post here.

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    Subic SQUAD Forum Webinar with Defense Attachés

    June 25, 2026

    Our Subic SQUAD attended their second webinar, featuring defense attachés Col. Naoki Aizawa of Japan, Capt. Anthony Saunders of the United States, and Lt. Col. Noel Young of Australia. The webinar focused on evolving defense and maritime cooperation among Japan, the United States, Australia, and the Philippines.

    For full details, please see the blog post here.

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    April 30, 2026

    Following a highly competitive selection process, we are proud to welcome a diverse cohort of scholars and practitioners from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. These participants bring a wide range of expertise in Indo-Pacific security, defense cooperation, and regional governance, reflecting the program’s commitment to fostering the next generation of policy-relevant voices in the region.

    For full details, please see the blog post here.

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