On the Frontlines of Indo-Pacific Strategy
In a Study Trip to the Philippines, SAIS Students Explore the Mindset of Decision-Makers
During a March 2026 capstone study trip to the Philippines, 16 students from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies met government officials, diplomats, international organizations, civil society representatives, scholars, and business leaders. Through this experience, they developed a better understanding of the country’s role in shaping the geopolitical trajectory of Southeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific, the U.S.-China competition, and how regional and international forces have, in turn, shaped the Philippines.
Led by Professor Henrietta Levin, the trip gave students a firsthand look at how policy decisions are made in the Philippines, a country increasingly central to Indo-Pacific security and prosperity. Professor Levin noted: “As a critical U.S. treaty ally, an important economic player, and the 2026 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines offers SAIS students an essential window into the strategic, political, and economic forces shaping the region. This study trip course provides students with a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Philippines’ historical and contemporary role in these dynamics.”
“The trip offered a rare, firsthand look at how policy is shaped through competing interests across government agencies and between the public and private sectors,” said Han Liu, a Master of Arts in International Relations student. “It gave us a more grounded understanding of the Philippines. And learning alongside classmates from diverse backgrounds made that experience even richer.”
Through meetings with senior officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Migrant Workers, as well as the Philippine Coast Guard, the SAIS students examined opportunities and constraints that shape decision-making in the Philippines. The discussions focused on a wide range of issues, including the country’s foreign policy, its relations with the United States, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asian neighbors, economic security and critical minerals, complex maritime challenges, and human rights and democracy.
“Engaging in 16 different meetings in Manila brought classroom learning to life,” noted Minami Tonooka, a Master of International Public Policy student. “It sharpened my knowledge and became one of the most memorable experiences of my time at SAIS.”
Other discussion themes included the Philippines’ focus on an outward-looking defense posture that values both coordination with partners and strategic autonomy, economic security through international exchange and local growth, the importance of energy security, and linking grassroots concerns to larger policy goals.
Reflecting on the trip, Keanu Paul Sygaco, a teaching assistant for the capstone course, shared: “Strategy in the Philippines means learning to navigate a shared future together, one that stretches across 7,641 islands, and beyond.”
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