A prominent philanthropist and senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress in Washington, has shared insights on shifting national security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific during a presentation on Tuesday, at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
Glen Fukushima, a former U.S diplomat, highlighted a need for more policymakers from the islands who have knowledge of the political landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.
Fukushima emphasised how national security in the region has changed over the past decade.
He outlined key challenges for the U.S in ensuring security in Asia, such as in maintaining consistent policy over time, implementing a coherent strategy and coordinating effectively with allies. He also stressed the need for more voices from Hawaii who have real-world experience in Asia.
“I really would like Hawai’i to be more represented in the Washington policy mix because what I find is that despite the importance of Asia, there are very few people in senior positions in the U.S government who have had experience in Asia and who can speak and read Asian languages and have had real experience working in Asia,” Fukushima said.
Hawaii, he noted, holds significant advantages in this area.
“Expertise advantage, there’s just alot that Hawaii has in terms of the University of Hawaii, East-West Centre and others that are experts in Asia.
“The third is diversity advantage because there are people of so many ethnic and racial and religious backgrounds here. I think it really represents the United States,” he said
UH Mānoa has long been recognised for its excellence in Asian and Pacific Islands studies. The UH Centre for Indo-Pacific Affairs (CIPA), established in 2022 with congressional funding, serves as a think tank addressing security challenges and providing student development opportunities.
“When we did an inventory, we were surprised that in addition to our area experts, we have at our area centres are faculty across the campus, across disciplines with expertise in the Indo-Pacific,” said Petrice Flowers, director at CIPA.
Fukushima is vice chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and former Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan and China.
