The Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) was founded in 1981 as the Southeast Asian Security Studies Program within the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. In February 1982, its status changed when it became an institute officially sanctioned by Chulalongkorn University, entrusted with the task of conducting independent research and disseminating knowledge on international and security issues.
The objectives of ISIS are:
To benefit teaching and research at the university level by promoting knowledge and understanding of international and security issues, both traditional and non-traditional, with particular emphasis on those which directly and indirectly affect Thailand.
To help pin-point problems, pose questions, and identify policy options for Thai government agencies on security matters that may directly and indirectly affect Thailand and Southeast Asia.
To enhance the general public’s awareness and understanding of security and international issues in a comprehensive manner.
To promote cooperation at the international level with other regional institutes with similar objectives.
Activities
ISIS carries out research on traditional and non-traditional security issues affecting the security of Thailand, Southeast and the Asia Pacific region.
Past researches have included aspects of security that include Thai counter-insurgency policies, ethnic conflicts, the environment and competition for natural resources, as well as decision-making on Thai arms procurement.
Seminars and Conferences
ISIS promotes exchanges of knowledge and viewpoints on security and international issues by organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences at the national and international levels, some of which have been in cooperation with other institutions with similar interests.
National level conferences have included joint endeavors with the House of Representatives Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, the Institute of National Defence Studies, the Social Science Association of Thailand, the Institute of Asian Studies, and Forum Asia.
Topics of past international meetings have included “Energy and ASEAN Security”, “The Future of ASEAN -Vietnam Relations”, “Economic Change and National Security in the ASEAN Countries” (organized with the cooperation of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore), “ASEAN Security in the Regional and International Context”, (organized with the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California at Berkeley and Center of Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia), International Security in Southeast Asia” (with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London), ASEAN 2020 Conference entitled “ ASEAN: Human Security in the Twenty-first Century”, (organized with the support of Far East Organization, Singapore, and the Asia Foundation, Thailand), and “Ethnic Conflicts in Southeast Asia”, (organized with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, Thailand).
ISIS has also conducted workshops/bilateral dialogues with its counterparts as part of an effort at strengthening relations between countries in the region. These included Institute of Foreign Affairs, Laos and Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace.
Outreach Program
ISIS conducts public lectures and panel discussions in Thai and English on security and international issues.
At the international level, ISIS is a founding member of ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), and serves as Secretariat of the Council in Security Cooperation in Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), Thailand.
Academic Services
- The Institute’s library holds books, journals, and periodicals on security and international issues. The library is open to students and researchers. Its collection can be accessed through www. car.chula.ac.th.
- The Institute provides assistance to students and researchers, both Thai and foreign, by giving advice and assistance in gaining access to research materials.
- The Institute welcomes foreign scholars as visiting reseachers. It also provides assistance for other academics and research institutions in identifying Thai specialists on given subjects and suggesting names of scholars for participation in seminars and conferences at the request of the organizers.