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About The Deakin Room

The Deakin Room was founded to provide thought leadership to help stakeholders across the maritime ecosystem navigate the region’s evolving security challenges. With a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific, The Deakin Room empowers decision-makers through informed analysis, strategic insights, and a commitment to intellectual engagement across disciplines.

Leadership and Founder

Dr. Sean Andrews, CSC, PhD, is the Founder and Director of The Deakin Room. He is currently serving as the Five Eyes Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre and was previously the Senior Maritime Fellow at the National Security College, Australian National University. In 2025, he will return as a Visiting Fellow at the Changing Character of War Centre at Oxford University.

Sean is also an Associate Member of King’s College London, a former Director of the Sea Power Centre – Australia, and the founder of the Indo-Pacific Six Nation Maritime Research Working Group.

As the Five Eyes Fellow, Sean contributes to policy and strategy development through wide-ranging intellectual engagement. His role includes strengthening The Deakin Room’s international networks across academia and national security institutions, while mentoring the next generation of leaders in the evolving field of maritime security.

Sean retired from the Royal Australian Navy with the rank of Captain. A Principal Warfare Officer and specialist in Undersea Warfare, he served extensively at sea in destroyers, frigates, and patrol boats, including two operational commands.

In 2024, he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the King’s Birthday Honours List for his leadership as Commander of the Australian Headquarters in the Middle East. His first book, Naval Constabulary Operations and Fisheries Governance, was published in May 2024.

The Indo-Pacific Maritime Research Working Group (IPMRWG )

The Deakin Room serves as both the Secretariat and Chair of the IPMRWG. Founded in 2021, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Research Working Group (IPMRWG) was established in recognition of the region’s centrality to global security, economic stability, and geopolitical dynamics. The region faces complex and overlapping maritime security challenges—from great power competition and South China Sea disputes to threats to undersea infrastructure, IUU fishing, and cyber vulnerabilities in port operations.

IPMRWG addresses these issues through interdisciplinary research, regional cooperation, and policy development. Its current members include India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia. Recently, Thailand and the United States joined the group.