King's College London

Hosting the forum in Hawaii was significant given its unique geographic and strategic position. In a special fireside conversation, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, MD, joined Professor Linda McKie, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy at King’s College London, to reflect on the islands’ pivotal role in Indo-Pacific security and share his vision for Hawaii as a “gathering place for peaceful resolution of conflict.” 

Dr Chris Howard, Chief Operating Officer at ASU, set the stage for the day:

This came just a handful of days after King's hosted the London Defence Conference, at which alliances were also the leading theme.

Speakers throughout the Honolulu forum highlighted the rapidly shifting security landscape, particularly with China’s growing assertiveness. Lieutenant General Joshua Rudd, Deputy Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command, emphasised: “Our greatest challenge is time, we have to go faster, we have to outpace our adversaries.”

Panels explored key flashpoints, military deterrence, and the need to balance credible defence with agile diplomacy. Sophia Gaston, UK Foreign Policy Lead at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, posed the central challenge: 

The forum repeatedly underscored that no nation can meet today’s challenges alone. Lieutenant General James Glynn, Commander of United States Marine Forces Pacific, captured this spirit: “No one nation, no one industry, no one of anything can handle the enormity of the challenges... Those that try often walk into peril faster than those that collaborate.”

Across all sessions, there was a strong call for innovation, societal engagement, and whole-of-nation coordination, particularly around initiatives like AUKUS and embedding a culture of innovation across defence institutions.

The day closed with a keynote dinner address from Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, Chief of the Australian Army, who affirmed that “in this era, defence and security is a national endeavour,” demanding coordination across all sectors of state, economy, and civil society.

We extend sincere thanks to all speakers and contributors from the military, government, policy, industry, and academia, and to our engaged audience in the room and online. The full event recording is available to view here, with chapter markers for key sessions.