ASEAN’s centrality in a rising Asia
This paper adopts a neoclassical realist perspective to explain Malaysia’s evolving policy towards the United States under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. It argues that to the extent that there is a...
View ArticleSecuring the State: National Security in Contemporary times
This lecture draws lessons from the experience of the first decade of the 21st century about how best to think about national security in modern times. Two related themes are identified. The first...
View ArticleBangladesh-India Relations: Sheikh Hasina’s India-positive Policy Approach
After becoming prime minister for the second time in January 2009, Sheikh Hasina radically overhauled Bangladesh's foreign policy approach toward India and brought Dhaka much closer to New Delhi....
View ArticleStrengthening Economic Linkages between South Asia and East Asia: The Case...
This paper argues that South Asian countries need to embark on a second round of “Look East” Policies (LEP2) to (i) link themselves to production networks in East Asia and (ii) develop production...
View ArticleThe Eurozone Crisis and Its Impact on Asia
This paper uses root cause analysis to identify the root causes of the eurozone crisis and compares it with the causes of the Latin American, the Asian, and the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US....
View ArticleSecurity Identity, Policymaking Regime and Japanese Security Policy Development
Compared to the Cold War, Japan’s post-Cold War security policy has undergone significant change. This is especially visible in the new means Japan has adopted, both outside and within the context of...
View ArticleThe Rising Chorus of Chinese Exceptionalism
The rise of China as a major player in international politics ranks as one of the defining features of 21st century global politics. China’s rise however has been met with considerable suspicion among...
View ArticleIran: How Intelligence and Policy Intersect
No issue is receiving more attention in American intelligence and policy-making circles than Iran and its nuclear program. Unfortunately, it is rare for intelligence in areas like this to be fully...
View ArticleEnhancing Global and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Management and Resolution
In this paper I provide an overview of the global perspectives on conflict management and conflict resolution and the international and regional efforts to address them. In this regard, I begin with...
View ArticleA New Containment-Policy The Curbing of War and Violent Conflict in World...
We are witnessing a worldwide expansion of war and violence, which should be countered by a new containment, just as George Kennan emphasized as early as 1987: “And for these reasons we are going to...
View ArticleThe Strategy of Coercive Isolation in U.S. Security Policy
The isolation of adversaries is an important form of coercive diplomacy. Because countries that are isolated are more vulnerable to military force and more exposed to the costs of fighting, the...
View ArticleBeyond its Mineral/Natural Resources: Why Africa Matters to the World
After independence, many African states assumed self-governance would produce good governance, but the experience proved otherwise with military coups, civil wars, poor trade relations, external debt...
View ArticleWahhabism vs. Wahhabism: Qatar Challenges Saudi Arabia
Qatar, a tiny energy-rich state in terms of territory and population, has exploded on to the world map as a major rival to the region’s behemoth, Saudi Arabia. By projecting itself through an activist...
View ArticleRegional Cyber Security: Moving Towards a Resilient ASEAN Cyber Security Regime
This paper outlines regional level cooperation efforts of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to counter serious cross-border cyber threats and identifies where gaps might exist, which...
View ArticleSafety in Numbers: Problems of a Smaller U.S. Arsenal in Asia
This paper argues that the Asia Pacific region is not ready for further nuclear reductions by the United States. After the end of the Cold War, the United States was able was reduce its nuclear and...
View ArticleSouth Korea’s Middle-Power Engagement Initiatives: Perspectives from...
South Korea has emerged as an important actor in the evolving Asian and global governance structure. Its influence has grown in various capacities that spans over areas such as trade, investment, aid,...
View ArticleMalaysia’s Past Successes and Uncertain Future: Graduating from the Middle or...
In the space of just over five decades, Malaysia has transformed from a largely agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy with a sustained high rate of economic growth. While Malaysia’s achievement...
View ArticleOf Auxiliary Forces and Private Armies: Security Sector Governance (SSG) and...
This paper focuses on the governance of the security sector in situations of armed conflict and the role of effective governance in conflict management. Specifically, it seeks to examine whether the...
View ArticlePopular Mandate and the Coming-of-Age of Social Media’s Presence in Indonesia...
The itinerant rise of the professionalised class of political pollsters, consultancies and statistic-analytical institutes in the Indonesian electoral scene has, in recent months, been accompanied by...
View ArticleOld Society, New Youths: An Overview of Youth and Popular Participation in...
An outmoded conception of youth in post-Reformasi Indonesia had led to an essentialisation of the demography into a dichotomous characterisation between that of “demographic dividends” and “ticking...
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