RSIS Seminar on “The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Challenges and Potential for National Security”

Chair:

• Mr Eddie Lim, Senior Fellow, Head of Military Studies Programme

Keynote Speaker:

• Dr Linton Wells II, Executive Advisor, George Mason University, C4I & Cyber Center; Visiting Distinguished Research Fellow, U.S National Defense University; and Distinguished Senior Research Fellow, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Speakers:

• Dr Adrian Kuah, Senior Research Fellow & Head, Case Studies Unit, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
• Dr Tan Teck Boon, Research Fellow, National Security Studies Programme, RSIS
• Dr Jolene Gerard, Research Fellow, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research

Abstract:

The Fourth Industrial Revolution envisions the fusion of the physical, digital and biological domains. Aided by current technological development trends, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will change the way humankind conducts everyday life and views the world. It will have a dramatic impact on economies, industries, governance and societies as observed in earlier industrial revolutions.

Through the rise of bigger and more accessible technological processing power, and increased interconnectivity from information sharing, change and breakthroughs will take place around us at an exponential speed. The extent of these changes are not limited to the technological and economic domains. It has and will transform the conduct of politics and governance, and evolve new social behaviour. The fruits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will redefine nations and societies. However, this new phenomenon will bring new challenges as well. With increasing difficulty in sense making in an information-intensive environment, new national security issues will emerge. This seminar aims to explore the complexity of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for nations and societies, and create the platform for further discussion and understanding of this epoch of change.

Speakers’ Bios:

Dr Linton Wells II has held positions at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) including the appointment of Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration and DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO). In these roles he oversaw the Defense Department’s $30 billion budget for information technology and related areas and was responsible for enhancing the department’s networked capabilities and support structures. From 2010 to 2014 he was a Distinguished Research Professor at U.S. National Defense University where he also directed the Center for Technology and National Security Policy. Here he initiated the Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support (TIDES) project that promotes building sustainable resilience world-wide to natural and man-made emergencies.

Dr Adrian Kuah is Senior Research Fellow (Future Ready Singapore Project) and Head, Case Studies Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His research interests include futures studies, governance and public policy, and complexity science. Before his current position, Dr Kuah was Lead Strategist in the Centre for Strategic Futures in Strategic Policy Office, Prime Minister’s Office. He was involved in the Whole-of-Government futures research and scenario planning. He led a team of researchers in analysing complex, cross-cutting issues of public policy across the social, economic, infrastructure and security domains.

Dr Tan Teck Boon is a Research Fellow in National Security Studies Programme, Office of the Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. His research covers smart cities governance, policy implications of emerging science and technology as well as inter-organisational cooperation and information sharing. Prior to joining RSIS, Teck Boon held research positions at both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Department of Economics, NUS. He obtained his PhD from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS).

Dr Jolene Jerard is a Research Fellow and Manager (Capacity Building) at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a Centre of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She received her PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK. She specialises on terrorist and extremist groups in Asia.

Organised by the Military Studies Programme