IPR 26 - Historical Reasoning and Regional Agency in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific Roundtable 2026 Panel 6: Historical Reasoning and Regional Agency in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific Revisiting Southeast Asia’s layered pasts, this panel highlights the importance of historically grounded perspectives in reading current geopolitical dynamics. From precolonial diplomacy to postcolonial regionalism and relations with external major powers, Southeast Asia’s political imagination offers enduring lessons for navigating the uncertainties of great power rivalry. Historians and policy thinkers revisit how the region’s long-standing political cultures—of negotiation, relational hierarchy, and pragmatic balance—shape responses to today’s great power pressures. By reading contemporary geopolitical dynamics through historical continuities, the discussion reaffirms Southeast Asia’s agency in defining its own regional order. Moderator: Miss Zeli (Fiona) Cheng – PhD Candidate in Development Studies, University of Cambridge Speakers: Professor Danny Wong – Professor & Dean, Universiti Malaya Doctor Petra Alderman – Researcher & Centre Manager, Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics Prof William Hurst – Co-Director and Strand Leader of the Indo-Pacific Strand, Centre for Geopolitics