NTU's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) receives US$2.5 million from the McArthur Foundation to lead an international research cluster focused on addressing regional security challenges.

When RSIS received a US$2.5 million grant from the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation in May, it became the largest beneficiary of the foundation's newly-launched Asia Security Initiative. The choice of RSIS as a core institution overseeing research under the initiative is recognition of its standing as a regional leader in the field of security studies, and the research capabilities of the RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies in particular.

Officially launched on 29 May, the MacArthur Foundation Asia Security Initiative was established to increase the effectiveness of international cooperation in fostering peace and security in Asia. Bringing together 27 institutions from around the world, the US$68 million initiative aims to help Asian policy research institutions strengthen their capacity to work with their counterparts across the globe to respond to Asian security challenges.

The MacArthur Asia Security Initiative will allow the school to "advance cutting-edge research to respond to challenges that affect both the well-being as well as the security of states and societies in the region," said Ambassador Barry Desker, Dean of RSIS.

Building international cooperation
The RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies will be using its US$2.2 million grant to spearhead research on non-traditional security challenges facing Asia, in areas such as climate change, environment and human security, energy security, as well as internal conflicts. The US$300,000 received by the RSIS Multilateral and Regionalism Programme will be committed to addressing the issue of regional security cooperation, to build institutional congruence and coherence in Asia's regional security architecture.

RSIS also has the distinct honour of being the only Singaporean institution selected as a core institution to head a research cluster under the initiative. The school will be leading a group of six international institutions to conduct research on the theme of "Internal Challenges". The group's research will focus on the need for international cooperation to help manage emerging transnational challenges, from competition over energy sources to the effects of natural disasters and the cross-border effects of domestic political instability.

One of the largest independent foundations in the United States, the MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. The Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.



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