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About the Conference
The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025
The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025 is the Indo-Pacific Studies Center’s flagship convening of leading thinkers, policymakers, scholars, and regional actors shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific.
Conference Theme
In an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation, resurgent protectionism, and intensifying great power rivalry, the Indo-Pacific stands at a strategic inflection point. With the return of Trump-era tariffs and a more transactional U.S. posture, the region confronts a dual challenge: responding to China’s assertive expansionism while navigating the uncertainty of waning multilateral commitments.
But this moment also opens new possibilities.
Can Indo-Pacific actors transcend great power dependencies and forge a new architecture of cooperation — one grounded in strategic autonomy, shared prosperity, and regional resilience?
What does sovereignty look like in the 21st century — not merely as a shield, but as a foundation for shaping global norms, partnerships, and futures on Indo-Pacific terms?
Rather than waiting for stability to be delivered from Washington or Beijing, the Indo-Pacific must define its own pathways forward — in technology, security, climate leadership, and democratic governance. This conference convenes the region’s thought leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to reimagine how power and partnership can be reconceived to serve a more balanced, equitable, and enduring Indo-Pacific order.
As ideas like an Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization (IPTO) gain quiet traction, the time is ripe to reimagine power-sharing, burden-sharing, and institution-building for a region no longer willing to be a pawn in great power games.
Track 1.5 Dialogue
The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025 is convened as a premier Track 1.5 dialogue platform, bringing together senior government representatives, diplomats, scholars, industry leaders, and civil society actors.
In a region marked by fragmentation and rapid transformation, this hybrid format enables open, policy-relevant conversations that bridge official diplomacy and independent expertise.
Hosted by the Indo-Pacific Studies Center (IPSC), the conference provides a neutral forum to explore regional cooperation, strategic realignment, and innovative solutions to shared Indo-Pacific challenges. Held annually, the conference provides a platform to discuss critical challenges facing the region, from climate action and strategic security to economic cooperation and multilateral governance.
IPSC Annual Conference 2025: An Immersive Experience
Day 1: Immersion in Big-Picture Strategy
The conference opens with a powerful keynote address setting the strategic context of the Indo-Pacific, focusing on the evolving struggles over regional power, economic coercion, and tariffs. Following the keynote, plenary sessions gather leading thinkers and policymakers to explore shifting hegemonies and the implications for security and economic policies. In the afternoon, focused breakout panels dive into critical themes such as coercive trade practices, power rivalries, and climate resilience. Interactive workshops challenge participants to collaborate and innovate, culminating in a reflective closing plenary that ties the day’s insights together.
Learning Outcome: Participants will develop a nuanced understanding of the complex power struggles shaping the Indo-Pacific, including economic coercion such as tariffs and trade pressures. They will critically analyze competing hegemonies and how these dynamics influence regional security, economic policies, and multilateral relations.
Day 2: Dialogue, Collaboration, and Innovation
Day two emphasizes interactive dialogue and partnership. Morning plenaries spotlight innovation and governance strategies that states and organizations use to respond to economic coercion and hegemonic competition. Roundtables foster candid, cross-sector conversations on diplomatic, technological, and policy innovations. Partner-led sessions showcase collaborative projects and success stories that seek to mitigate conflict and promote regional stability. The day closes with a visionary keynote inspiring future cooperation and shared responsibility.
Learning Outcome: Participants will deepen their grasp of how states and non-state actors respond to coercion and hegemonic competition through innovative governance, strategic partnerships, and collaborative mechanisms. They will engage with practical examples of regional cooperation and dialogue that foster stability and resilience.
Day 3: Outcomes and Forward Action
The final day transitions ideas into action. Strategy workshops focus on developing concrete policy recommendations addressing the dual challenges of tariffs, coercion, and hegemonic rivalry. Capacity-building sessions empower emerging leaders and researchers with the skills needed to navigate this contested environment. The conference concludes with a celebratory closing ceremony, the release of a collective statement, and networking that seeds future partnerships for sustained regional collaboration.
Learning Outcome: Participants will be equipped to translate insights into strategic policy recommendations addressing economic coercion and hegemonic rivalry. They will build practical leadership skills and strengthen networks that support ongoing collaboration to manage regional power dynamics.
Call for Papers Now Open
We invite submissions of original abstracts on topics related to Indo-Pacific security, governance, environmental policy, economic development, and regional integration.
📅 Submission deadline: 10 August 2025
Key Dates
The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025 will be held on 9–10 October 2025. The event will be hybrid, with opportunities for both in-person and virtual participation. Please refer to the key dates below for submissions, registration, and engagement.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Abstract Submission Deadline | 10 August 2025 |
| Notification of Acceptance | 25 August 2025 |
| Speaker Confirmations Due | 5 September 2025 |
| Delegate Registration Opens | 5 September 2025 |
| Early Bird Registration Closes | 20 September 2025 |
| Final Paper / Presentation Submission | 25 September 2025 |
| Conference Dates | 9–11 October 2025 |
| Post-Conferene Publication Submissions Due | 10 November 2025 |
| Recordings & Proceedings Released | Late November 2025 |
Partner with Us
The Indo-Pacific Studies Center welcomes sponsorship partners for the State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025, taking place on 9–10 October 2025 in Melbourne, New Delhi and online.
Sponsoring this flagship Track 1.5 event provides unparalleled visibility among diplomats, scholars, industry leaders, government officials, and youth from across the Indo-Pacific. By supporting the conference, your organization will contribute to advancing strategic dialogue, regional cooperation, and leadership development in one of the world’s most dynamic and contested regions.
- ✔ Brand visibility across all conference materials, media, and online platforms
- ✔ Opportunities for speaking roles or co-branded sessions
- ✔ Recognition in participant handbook and post-event publications
- ✔ Direct engagement with delegates, diplomats, and scholars
Featured Speakers
2025 Speaker line-up coming soon
Register Your Interest
Want to attend or present at the 2025 State of the Indo-Pacific Conference?
Join our waitlist to receive updates on registration, speaker announcements, and pre-conference briefings.