Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies
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Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies |
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| Motto | Ponder the Improbable |
| Established | 30 July 1996 |
| Type | Autonomous Research Institute located within Nanyang Technological University |
| Director | Ambassador Barry Desker |
| Staff | 90 |
| Students | 130 (total; 2005–06) |
| Postgraduates | 130 (2005–06) |
| Location | Singapore, Singapore, |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.idss.edu.sg |
The Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (abbreviation:IDSS) was established in July 1996 as an autonomous research institute within the Nanyang Technological University,Singapore. The current President of Singapore, Sellapan Ramanathan was the founding Director of the institute. Currently, Ambassador Barry Desker is the Director of the institute and Professor Amitav Acharya is the Deputy Director and the Head of Research at the institute. The Institute is guided by a Board of Governors chaired by Dr. Andrew Chew, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Singapore.
Its motto is to “Ponder the Improbable”. Its research, teaching and networking objectives are aimed at assisting policy makers to develop comprehensive approaches to strategic thinking in areas related to Singapore’s interests.
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[edit] Objectives of IDSS
The Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) exists to develop a community of scholars and policy analysts at the forefront of Asia-Pacific security studies and international affairs. The objectives of the institute are to:
- Conduct research on security, strategic and international issues.
- Provide general and graduate education in strategic studies, international relations, defence management and defence technology.
- Promote joint and exchange programmes with similar regional and international institutions;and
- Organise seminars/conferences on topics salient to the strategic and policy communities of the Asia-Pacific.
Constituents of IDSS include
- the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR),
- the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) and
- the Asian Programme for Negotiation and Conflict Management (APNCM).
[edit] Research
Research at IDSS covers a wide spectrum of security and strategic issues. These are organised into programmes within three broad areas:
- Asia-Pacific Security
- Conflict and Non-traditional Security
- Country and Area Studies
Research programmes within each area are able to benefit from the cross-fertilisation of ideas as many of the programmes are inter-linked. The appointment of staff, wherever appropriate, as Faculty Associates in each other's research programmes reinforces this multi-disciplinary approach. This informal arrangement with its many cross-linkages has contributed to the Institute’s fast-growing reputation as a centre for research in Asia-Pacific Security, Conflict and Non-traditional Security and in the study of the countries that matter in regional security and stability. The involvement of institutions and experts from around the world in IDSS’ research programmes is a testimony to the Institute’s international standing. These institutes include the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and individual experts from institutions such as Beijing University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the University of Warwick, the London School of Economics, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the RAND Corporation, and Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.
Through its Working Paper Series, IDSS Commentaries and other publications, the Institute seeks to share its research findings with the strategic studies and defence policy communities. The Institute’s researchers are also encouraged to publish their writings in refereed journals. The focus of research is on issues relating to the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and their implications for Singapore and other countries in the region. The Institute has also established the S. Rajaratnam Professorship in Strategic Studies (named after Singapore’s first Foreign Minister), to bring distinguished scholars to participate in the work of the Institute. Previous holders of the Chair include Professors Stephen Walt (Harvard University), Jack Snyder (Columbia University), Wang Jisi (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Alastair Iain Johnston (Harvard University) and John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago). A Visiting Research Fellow Programme also enables overseas scholars to carry out related research in the Institute.
[edit] Teaching
The Institute provides educational opportunities at an advanced level to professionals from both the private and public sectors in Singapore as well as overseas through graduate programmes, namely, the Master of Science in Strategic Studies, the Master of Science in International Relations and the Master of Science in International Political Economy. These programmes are conducted full-time and part-time by an international faculty. The Institute also has a Doctoral programme for research in these fields of study. In addition to these graduate programmes, the Institute also teaches various modules in courses conducted by the SAFTI Military Institute, SAF Warrant Officers’ School, Civil Defence Academy, and the Defence and Home Affairs Ministries. The Institute also runs a one-semester course on ‘The International Relations of the Asia Pacific’ for undergraduates in NTU.
[edit] Networking
The Institute convenes workshops, seminars and colloquia on aspects of international relations and security development that are of contemporary and historical significance. Highlights of the Institute’s activities include a regular Colloquium on Strategic Trends in the 21st Century, the annual Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO) and the biennial Asia Pacific Security Conference. IDSS staff participate in Track II security dialogues and scholarly conferences in the Asia-Pacific. IDSS has contacts and collaborations with many international think tanks and research institutes throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. The Institute has also participated in research projects funded by the Ford Foundation and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. It also serves as the Secretariat for the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), Singapore. Through these activities, the Institute aims to develop and nurture a network of researchers whose collaborative efforts will yield new insights into security issues of interest to Singapore and the region.
