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  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
      • [email protected] Newsletter
      • Other Research
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • Great Powers
      • Sustainable Security
      • Other Resource Pages
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Vidcast Channel
      • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
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Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

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    RSIS Intranet

    S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
    Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

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    • RSIS
    • About RSIS
    • Building the Foundations

    Building the Foundations

    Setting up IDSS

    Before the inauguration of RSIS in 2007, it was known as the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS). By establishing the IDSS in 1996, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Dr Tony Tan wanted to inform policymakers of the political uncertainty in the Asia Pacific region arising from the post-Cold War era, and the possible implications of this uncertainty on Singapore’s security and defence. The late President S. R. Nathan was selected to head the institute, thanks to his vast experience in confronting geopolitical issues.

    Mr Nathan set out to build an institution that differed from its local and overseas counterparts. The local think tank scene was then still relatively underdeveloped and a handful of thought centres focused mainly on domestic issues. IDSS was envisioned to be an institution that taught graduate level courses which could generate strategic insights on how to navigate the intricate world where security, defence, and politics intersect. Mr Nathan quickly helped IDSS establish its beginnings as a graduate education institution by assisting it to launch its first programme, the Master of Science in Strategic Studies, in 1998.

    Mr Nathan created the motto “Ponder the Improbable” and insisted that all research be policy-relevant. The motto is indicative of the demands of cognitive rigour expected of staff and students in the course of their research or lessons.

    Nurturing and Growing the School

    IDSS introduced two new programmes and Centres between 1999 and 2006: the Master of Science in International Relations and the Master of Science in International Political Economy programmes, as well as the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) and the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS).

    During that period, the region entered a new geopolitical landscape. The September 11 attacks and outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, had changed the way nations looked at security, defence and politics. Mr Nathan himself felt that the existence of IDSS was timely in the light of these events, as it became imperative to develop a “sophisticated understanding” of the forces at work in the world.

    In 2007, RSIS was inaugurated, signifying the maturation of IDSS as a research institute. IDSS remains a prominent research centre within RSIS.

    The school was named after Mr S. Rajaratnam in recognition of his contributions to Singapore as its first Foreign Minister. Mr Rajaratnam helped Singapore gain entry into the United Nations, and built up the Foreign Service. Essentially, he paved the way for Singapore’s international relations from the country’s earliest days of independence.

    Mr S. Rajaratnam

    Endowed Professorships

    RSIS has four endowed professorships that bring distinguished scholars and practitioners to teach and to conduct research at the School.

    • The S. Rajaratnam Professorship in Strategic Studies
    • The Ngee Ann Kongsi Professorship in International Relations
    • The NTUC Professorship in International Economic Relations
    • The Peter Lim Professorship in Peace Studies

    Related Content:

    • Speech by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, at the launch of IDSS
    • Speech by Mr S R Nathan, Director, Institute of Defence & Strategic Studies at the Inauguration Ceremony
    • Speech by then President S R Nathan at 10th Anniversary Celebration of IDSS and the launch of RSIS
    • Acceptance Remarks by Mr Eddie Teo at the NTU Convocation Ceremony and the Award of the Doctor of Letters

    Last updated on 17/09/2021

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    Building the Foundations

    Setting up IDSS

    Before the inauguration of RSIS in 2007, it was known as the Ins ...
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