Introduction
The Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) is a key research component of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). It focuses on security research to serve national needs. IDSS' faculty and research staff conduct both academic and policy-oriented research on security-related issues and developments affecting Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Its research agenda presently comprises the following programmes: Civil and Internal Conflict; International Political Economy; Maritime Security; Military Transformations; Multilateralism and Regionalism; Science, Technology and Security; Contemporary Islam; China; Indonesia; South Asia; and the United States.
Civil and Internal Conflict Programme
The RSIS Civil and Internal Conflict Programme undertakes fieldwork-focused research on internal conflicts in Southeast Asia. Specific countries of focus are Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The programme also works closely with NGOs to facilitate workshops and executive training in the field of conflict negotiation and mediation. Research findings have been published in numerous internationally-refereed academic and policy journals as well as monograph series.
Maritime Security Programme
The RSIS Maritime Security Programme (MSP) was established in 2004 with LTC Joshua Ho as its Coordinator. The programme adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach to address maritime security issues as maritime challenges can have multiple effects that spread across a spectrum of disciplines as a result of countries being more interconnected in a globalized world. The programme aims to cover the spectrum of maritime security issues ranging from traditional maritime security topics to non-traditional maritime security issues. Topics like the impact of force modernization on the regional balance of power, maritime boundary disputes and its impact on regional stability, maritime terrorism, piracy and armed robbery, maritime cooperation, regime building and confidence building measures, the security of sea lanes and ports, the safety of navigation and the preservation of the marine environment are challenges that come within the ambit of the maritime security programme.
Military Transformations Programme
The Military Transformations Programme (formerly known as RMA Programme) was established in 2003. The Programme aims to develop an indigenous scholarly and policy-relevant expertise on the subject of RMA theory and the related area of Military Transformations. Its research agenda seeks to adapt the existing body of RMA literature, which tends to be very US-centric in nature and scope, to the geopolitical conditions that relate to Singapore and the SAF. Towards this end, the Programme identified three broad areas of research: Transformation of doctrine, operational planning and strategy; Transformation of defence economics and industrialisation; and, National approaches to military transformations.
Multilateralism and Regionalism Programme
The Multilateralism and Regionalism Programme conducts cutting-edge research and teaching on multilateral security and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Its networking activities include hosting the annual Sentosa Roundtable on Asian Security. The Programme’s research has contributed to the systematic accumulation of scholarly and policy-based knowledge, amassing accomplishments equal to if not greater than those of established centres elsewhere. It is the successful recipient of external grants totalling USD1m from the MacArthur Foundation, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. From 2009 onwards, the Programme’s research will contribute to, inter alia, the MacArthur Foundation’s Asia Security Initiative. Headed by Dr Tan See Seng since its inception in 2002, the Programme will, from May 2009, be led by Dr Ralf Emmers.
Science, Technology and Security Programme
The Science, Technology and Security programme seeks to conduct research on security issues at the interface between technology and policy. The programme aims to work with the engineering faculties in the university and like-minded overseas research institutes to explore matters such as energy security as well as nuclear issues. Being established in a technological based university, the programme is well suited to draw in experts from the scientific community to carry out cross-disciplinary research and also contribute to teaching in RSIS.
Contemporary Islam Programme
The Contemporary Islam Programme (CIP) was formed to undertake independent studies on the role and perceptions of Islam in the context of politics and society in Southeast Asia. The Programme investigates Muslim attitudes in Southeast Asian studies on grassroots and elite perceptions of major issues pertaining to Islam’s role in society (e.g. attitudes towards Syariah, Jihad, etc.) The Programme also attempts to create institutional capacity by developing a core team of faculty members who undertake teaching as well as policy-relevant and scholarly research in various aspects of Muslim politics, jurisprudence, and state-society relations that is accessible to the wider public. Research by CIP members and associates include Shia Islam in Southeast Asia, political Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia, and the role of the Ulama in Malaysian society.
China Programme
The China Programme in the Institute looks broadly at China's strategic thinking and behaviour. Its members provide a distinctive regional voice on the issue of the role of China as a rising power. The programme gives priority to research on the evolution of China's strategic thinking and behaviour, how these are influenced by domestic politics, by confidence building measures between China and regional states, and by regional institutions such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, 10+3 and the East Asian Summit; and how regional states' perceptions and behaviour toward China have been shaped as a result. The Programme also studies the military dimension of China's strategic thinking and behaviour and China's thinking and actions on issues such as anti-terrorism, maritime security and Taiwan. It also examines China and Japan-China relationships and their implications for the region and regional states.
Indonesia Programme
One of IDSS’s earliest research efforts, the Indonesia Programme studies current developments and a wide range of key issues in the archipelago, including political Islam, military and security affairs, foreign policy and regional relations, as well as national and local politics, especially in the Riau region. Aside from numerous research and publications, the Programme is also engaged in a variety of networking and teaching activities. The course “State and Politics in Modern Indonesia” is taught regularly as part of the Masters degree in Asian Studies. In the latter, the “Riau Roundtable” is our flagship networking event, organized bi-annually to bring together stakeholders from Singapore and the Riau region together, along with our fortnightly Riau Bulletin that dissects key local developments in Riau. The Indonesia Programme has not only provided a platform for networking between the Singapore policy community and the emerging political elite in Indonesia, but also deepened mutual understanding and closer friendship between the two neighbours and beyond.
Visit our website at http://www.rsis.edu.sg/Indonesia_Prog/
South Asia Programme
RSIS initiated the South Asia Programme in 2007 following its recognition of the growing importance of the Indian Subcontinent in Asian and global affairs. Incorporating an earlier initiative on a rising India, the Programme is built around two leading experts in the area - Professor C. Raja Mohan and Associate Professor Rajesh M. Basrur. Together they contribute to teaching and research at RSIS as well as to networking with the regional and global research community on South Asia. The Programme has contributed actively to academic and policy debates on pressing issues in South Asia, such as India-Pakistan tensions, the integration of South Asia into the global nuclear order and the relationship between terrorism/insurgency and regional stability. It also focuses on a range of other issues, including South Asia's changing relations with the great powers, deepening trends of regionalism, and the impact of a rising India on the Asian and global political landscapes.
United States Programme
The United States programme was established in 2004. Its research focuses on the security policies of the United States, especially on how these may or have impacted on East Asia. Apart from more immediate concerns, the programme also looks at issues over the longue durée. Historical case studies are examined to bring a longer perspective to bear on politics and diplomacy. An appreciation of the historical background of a problem can often point to its potential solution.
