ASEAN remains a key region for US–Japan strategic and economic cooperation and shared commitment to realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. At the same time, rapid population aging in the region presents new challenges and opportunities for human security, economic vitality, and regional stability. JCIE USA will host a webinar to explore these dynamics and the implications for US–Japan relations, featuring experts from Japan, the United States, and ASEAN.
Topics to be addressed include:
- How aging affects security, diplomacy, and alliance dynamics in the Indo-Pacific
- Governance, institutional, and cross-sectoral mechanisms needed for sustainable regional cooperation
- Policy innovation, private-sector engagement, and civil society collaboration for resilient and inclusive aging societies
EVENT DETAILS
DATE & TIME:
December 16, 2025 (USA): 8:00–9:00 PM EST
December 17, 2025 (Thailand/Japan): 8:00–9:00 AM ICT /10:00–11:00 AM JST
VENUE: Online (Zoom)
REGISTRATION: The event is open to the public, but registration is required in order to attend.
CONTACT: For any inquiries, please contact [email protected]
SPEAKERS
Hon. Masahiko Kiya
Ambassador in Charge of Okinawan Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
Ambassador Masahiko Kiya is a senior Japanese diplomat and currently serves as Ambassador in Charge of Okinawan Affairs, following his term as Japan’s Ambassador to ASEAN until November 2025, where he led Japan’s political, security, and economic engagement with the region. Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987, he has held key posts in Tokyo and abroad, including assignments in the United States, Nigeria, Belgium, and Bangladesh. He previously served as Ambassador to South Sudan, advancing peace and humanitarian coordination, and as Consul-General in Sydney. His portfolio spans national security, peacebuilding, development cooperation, and multilateral diplomacy. Ambassador Kiya holds degrees from the University of Tokyo and the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Andrew Oros
Senior Fellow and Director of the Japan Program, Stimson Center
Andrew L. Oros is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center, specializing in the strategic implications of demographic change in the Indo-Pacific. His research focuses on how aging populations, shrinking workforces, and gender imbalances affect national security readiness and regional stability, particularly in ASEAN, Japan, and the United States. He is the author of Asia’s Aging Security (2025), which analyzes how demographic transitions are reshaping U.S. alliances and partnerships across the region. A professor of political science at Washington College, he has held fellowships at Japan’s National Institute of Defense Studies, universities in Japan, South Korea, and China, and at the Wilson Center and the East-West Center in Washington. His analysis is widely featured in U.S. and Asian media.
Dr. Kyaw Min Soe
Head of Policy Advocacy, Information, Education, and Communication (IEC), and Capacity Building at the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI)
Dr. Kyaw Min Soe leads policy advocacy, IEC initiatives, and capacity-building efforts at the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI). His work promotes active and healthy ageing across ASEAN through strengthened regional frameworks and partnerships. He has extensive experience in public health—including HIV/AIDS, TB, health economics, and physical activity promotion—and has contributed to major research and capacity-building programs in Thailand. From 2014 to 2020, he supported USAID and local partners across Asia and Africa on monitoring and evaluation for HIV programs. He completed a global health research fellowship at Imperial College London, supported by the Wellcome Trust.
Moderator: Kazuyo Kato
Executive Director, JCIE USA
Kazuyo joined JCIE USA as Executive Director in April 2021, after spending nearly two decades at nonprofit organizations dedicated to US-Japan relations and international affairs in both the United States and Japan. Prior to JCIE USA, she was Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Initiatives at Japan Society in New York. As a member of the executive team, she focused on developing funding support and expanding the society’s network across the country and in Japan through online initiatives and partnership programs, and she helped keep the Society active during the global pandemic. She also led the Society’s multifaceted program on the 10-year anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Read more…
The event was made possible by a generous grant from the Toshiba International Foundation.
