The Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Minilateralism and Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia
From vision to action: this talk explores how flexible minilateral partnerships between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea are quietly reshaping the architecture of Indo-Pacific security. In this installment of Maritime Conversations, Matthew Fleming joins series host Scott Knowles for a wide-ranging conversation on the geopolitics shaping U.S.-East Asia maritime relations.
☕ Light breakfast and refreshments will be provided
🎙️ Format: Moderated conversation + audience Q&A
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About the Speaker:
Matthew F. Fleming is a Non-Resident James A. Kelly Korea Fellow at the Pacific Forum and a Ph.D. student in political science at Northeastern University. His research focuses on Indo-Pacific security, minilateralism, and strategic competition in Northeast Asia, with particular attention to U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateralism, Indo-Pacific strategies, and U.S. foreign relations with South Korea and Japan. He is also a Graduate Fellow at Northeastern’s Center for International Affairs and World Cultures and previously served as a U.S. Delegate to the U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit, a U.S. Department of State initiative organized through the U.S. embassies in Seoul and Tokyo and hosted by the East-West Center in 2024. He has held positions with the Indo-Pacific Strategy Team in the Office of Regional and Security Policy at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP/RSP), the East Asia Institute, and the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies’ journals. Fleming holds an M.A. in Global Affairs and Policy from Yonsei University (Korea), specializing in international security and foreign policy, and an M.A. in Media and Governance from Keio University (Japan), focusing on global governance and regional strategy. His writing on Indo-Pacific security and minilateral cooperation has appeared in The Diplomat, Pacific Forum, the CDA Institute, the East-West Center, North Korean Review, and the Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies
About Maritime Conversations:
Explore the maritime innovations and strategies that shaped U.S. history and define today's most urgent security challenges through a four-part series with the sharpest minds in maritime history and geopolitics. The series will be moderated by Northeastern University's Dr. Scott Knowles, Senior Director of Research at the Defense Industrial Base Institute (DIBI) and Research Professor of History in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH).
All Northeastern students, faculty, staff, and outside guests are encouraged to register. Free to attend.
Other talks in the series – register to attend:
Thursday, April 2: Portrait of a Portrait: A Maritime History of Boston with Dr. William M. Fowler. 909 Renaissance Park, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 16: Keeping the USS Constitution Afloat: Maritime Conservation and Public History with Margherita M. Desy. 909 Renaissance Park, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22: Liberty Ships, Then and Now with Doug Most. 909 Renaissance Park, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
About DIBI:
This event series is hosted by the Defense Industrial Base Institute (DIBI) at Northeastern University, a solutions engine that transforms America's defense industrial base. DIBI connects research, capital, and coalitions to deliver results at scale vital to deterrence and safeguarding America's freedom and prosperity. Learn more about the institute at dibi.northeastern.edu.