Dr Graham Ong-Webb

Dr Graham Ong-Webb is an Adjunct Fellow at RSIS. He is also Vice President, Head of the Future Technology Centre, at Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering, which is Asia’s largest defence and engineering group covering the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.

Graham’s main research is centred on the transformative role and impact of Industry 4.0 technologies (especially artificial intelligence or AI, robotics, and 5G) on people and smart cities, national defence (particularly in unmanned warfare through AI-enabled autonomous platforms) and homeland security.

Graham also provides media commentary on geopolitical, economic, and technological developments pertaining to the Asia Pacific.

In addition to editing several book volumes, Graham has published in the Journal of Strategic Studies, The Journal of International Studies, Jane’s Intelligence Review, and World Defence Systems.

Previously, Graham was a Research Fellow at RSIS, where he resided at the Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office from September 2017 to May 2019, covering the Future Issues and Technology portfolio. From November 2014 to August 2017, Graham was under the Military Studies Programme. Since 2014, Graham has been affiliated with the International Political Economy Programme where he continues to teach a postgraduate module on political risk analysis.

Prior to RSIS, Graham was Chief Operating Officer at the Future-Moves Group, Senior Consultant with the Control Risks Group, and Managing Editor (and Research Analyst) at Jane’s by IHS Markit.

In addition to having lectured at RSIS, Graham has taught at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (at the SAFTI Military Institute), the Royal Defence Academy in the United Kingdom, the Royal Brunei Defence Academy (through Universiti Brunei Darussalam),  the National University of Singapore, the Singapore University of the Social Sciences, ESSEC Business School (École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales), and the Security Industry Institute at Temasek Polytechnic.

A Commonwealth Scholar, Graham completed his PhD at the Centre for Science and Security Studies, at King’s College London, where he concurrently attained his Associate of King’s College (AKC) degree in theology, winning the Leathes Prize. He read for his Master of Science in International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE)—with concentrations taken at the LSE’s Methodology Institute—on a Sir Tan Cheng Lock Master of Arts Scholarship.  He also earned his Bachelor of Social Science (Honours, Second Upper Division) in Political Science from the National University of Singapore (NUS), supported by a NUS-Shaw Foundation Scholarship.

As a commissioned army officer in Singapore’s equivalent to the military reserve (known as National Service) within the Singapore Armed Forces, Graham completed his Command and Staff Course (CSC) at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College within the SAFTI Military Institute in 2013, emerging as Distinguished Graduate.

• Role and impact of Industry 4.0 technologies (especially artificial intelligence or AI, robotics, and 5G) on people and smart cities, national defence (particularly in unmanned warfare through AI-enabled autonomous platforms) and homeland security
• Postulations on Industry 5.0 technologies through weak signals in the global R&D sector
• Geopolitical, economic, and technological developments in the Asia Pacific

• Appointed Member, Complusory Education Board, Ministry of Education, January 2017 – Present
• Appointed Member, External Placement Review Board, Ministry of Home Affairs, July 2016 – Present
• Grassroots Volunteer, Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (Woodlands), August 2016 – Present
• Volunteer, Yellow Ribbon Project, August 2016 – Present
• Honorary Aide-De-Camp to the President of the Republic of Singapore, May 2016 – Present
• Chairperson, Education Committee, Eurasian Association Singapore (Self-Help Group), April 2016 – Present

Working Papers

• WP304 | Incident Prevention and Mitigation In The Asia Pacific Littorals: Framing, Expanding, and Adding to Cues

  15 August, 2017

Commentaries

• CO18104 | Trump-Kim Summit: A Tale of Two Endings

  22 June, 2018

• CO18096 | Trump-Kim Summit - S. Rajaratnam and Singapore’s Role

  12 June, 2018

• CO18090 | Pre-Summit Posturing: The Trump-Kim Manoeuvres

  31 May, 2018

• CO18002 | Behind North Korea’s Olive Branch: An Alternative View

  05 January, 2018

• CO17198 | Nuclearised Northeast Asia: Why Including Japan, South Korea May Work

  23 October, 2017

• CO15190 | Thailand’s Kra Canal: Is Vietnam Angling In?

  04 September, 2015

• CO06033 | What Europe Day can mean for ASEAN

  09 May, 2006

• CO05070 | Maritime Air Patrols: The New Weapon Against Piracy in the Malacca Straits

  13 October, 2005

Authored Books

• Ong-Webb, Graham Gerard (ed.) Jane’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response Handbook (United Kingdom, IHS Jane’s, 2011).

Edited Books

• National Service in Singapore
• Ong-Webb, Graham Gerard (ed.) Piracy, Maritime Terrorism and Securing the Malacca Straits, (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, and the International Institute of Asian Studies, Leiden University, 2006).

Edited Chapters

• Malasia y Singapur durante la Guerra Fria [English book chapter translated into Spanish]
• Ong-Webb, Graham Gerard. "Piracy in Maritime Asia: Current Trends," in Peter Lehr (ed.), Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism (New York: Routledge, 2007).
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “The Threat of Piracy and Maritime Terrorism,” in Regional Outlook: Southeast Asia, 2005-2006, (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005).
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Ships Can Be Dangerous Too: Coupling Piracy and Terrorism in Southeast Asia’s Maritime Security Framework”, in Mark Valencia and Derek Johnson (eds.), Piracy in Asia: Issues, Status and Responses, (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005).

Journal Articles

• Ong-Webb, Graham. "International Law Shall Parry Through: Singapore's Perspective on Resolving the South China Sea Disputes Peacefully," Indo-Pacific Strategic Review, Special Volume 02, Issue 01, December 2016.
• Ong-Webb, Graham Gerard. "Power posturing: China's Tactical Nuclear Stance Comes of Age," Jane's Intelligence Review, 22(9), September 2010.
• Ong-Webb, Graham Gerard. “How to Sharpen a Nuclear Knife: China’s Strategic Nuclear Forces and the Role of the PLA’s ‘Counter-C4ISR’ Capabilities,” World Defense Systems: The International Review of Defence Acquisition Issues, Vol. 1, Spring/Summer 2010.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Building IR Theory with ‘Japanese Characteristics’: Nishida Kitaro and ‘Emptiness’”, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 33(1), July/August 2004.
• Ong, G. Gerard. “Credibility over Courage: NATO’s Mis-Intervention in Kosovo,” Journal of Strategic Studies, 26(1), March 2003.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Winning the Battle against Horizontal Nuclear Proliferation in the 21st Century,” Pointer: Journal of the Singapore Armed Forces, 27(2), April-June 2001.

Op-Eds

• Small States and the Sino-US Battle for AI Supremacy
• Miranda, Bernard, Ong-Webb, Graham, and Koh, Swee Lean, Collin. "Commentary: To manage the South China Sea dispute, keep incidents at sea in check", Channel News Asia, 5 June 2017, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/commentary-to-manage-the-south-china-sea-dispute-keep-incidents-8911176
• Ong-Webb, Graham. "Why North Korea's nuclear threat must be taken more seriously than ever", The Conversation, 27 April 2017, https://theconversation.com/why-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-must-be-taken-more-seriously-than-ever-76592
• Ong-Webb, Graham. "The lives at stake if war breaks out in Korea", The Straits Times, 15 April 2017.
• Ong-Webb, Graham. "To Triumph Over Terrorism, We Need Resilient Citizens", IPS Commons, 18 August 2016, http://www.ipscommons.sg/to-triumph-over-terrorism-we-need-resilient-citizens/
• Mark, Eugene, and Ong-Webb, Graham. "After Constitution Referendum, What Next for Thailand?", The Diplomat, 11 August 2016, http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/after-constitution-referendum-what-next-for-thailand/
• Mark, Eugene, and Ong-Webb, Graham. "After Constitution Referendum, What Next for Thailand?", The Diplomat, 11 August 2016, http://thediplomat.com/2016/08/after-constitution-referendum-what-next-for-thailand/
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “Blunting the knife-edge of ISIS terrorism”, The Straits Times, Singapore, Opinion, 6 April 2016.
• Ong-Webb, Graham, and Fallon, Theresa. “China's Zero-Sum Game in the South China Sea Rattles its Neighbors,” International Relations and Security Network (ISN), 4 October 2012, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=153342
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “Entrenching Change in Burma,” International Relations and Security Network (ISN) Insights, 2 March 2012, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=138417
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “How Far Will China's Navy Reach?” ISN Insights, 15 March 2011, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=127476&lng=en
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “China: Brick Batting at Home and Abroad,” ISN Insights, 24 February 2011, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?ots591=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4&lng=en&id=127088
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “US-Sino Relations: Opportunity Wasted?” ISN Insights, 25 October 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=122556&lng=en
• Ong-Webb, Graham, and O'Donnell, Frank. "Myanmar-North Korea Proliferation Link?," ISN Security Watch, 7 July 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=118388
• Ong-Webb, Graham, and O'Donnell, Frank. “Opportunity Knocks in North Korea," International Relations and Security Network (ISN) Security Watch, 9 June 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail//?ots591=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4&lng=en&id=117203
• Ong-Webb, Graham. "Coming of Age in North Korea," ISN Security Watch, 1 June 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail//?ots591=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4&lng=en&id=116724
• Ong-Webb, Graham. "US, China: More Give, Less Take," ISN Security Watch, 15 April 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=115029
• Ong-Webb, Graham, and O'Donnell, Frank. "Bringing China to the Proliferation Party," ISN Security Watch, 6 April 2010, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail//?ots591=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4&lng=en&id=114513
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “China and Iran: Turning the Nuclear Tide,” The World Today, November 2009.
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “Behold China’s Missile Parade,” ISN Security Watch, 1 October 2009, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=106552
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “Uncovering China’s Hidden Nuclear Proliferation Agenda,’ ISN Special Report on Nuclear Dangers, April 2009, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?ots591=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4&lng=en&id=124174
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “The spy games that states play,” The Straits Times, 15 February 2008.
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “ASEAN must keep nuclear cloud at bay,” The Nation, 27 December 2007.
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “Making further sense of Pyongyang’s action,” The Straits Times, 12 October 2006.
• Ong-Webb, Graham. “EU grows up to be a role model” The Straits Times, 4 May 2006.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Charting a unified course for safer seas,” The Straits Times, 25 June 2005.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “A case for armed guards on ships,” The Straits Times, 26 May 2005.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “ASEAN not allow Myanmar [Burma] to take the chair,” The Straits Times, 28 March 2005.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Diplomacy can calm troubled sea”, The Jakarta Post, 9 March 2005.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. "An Afghan factor in the Bush-Kerry contest," The Straits Times, 7 October 2004.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. "Leave no gaps in security of public transport system," The Straits Times, 30 March 2004.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. "Today may be turning point against Al-Qaeda," The Straits Times, 13 November 2003.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. "Making sense of Megawati's Moscow Trip," The Straits Times, 19 April 2003.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Nothing new about crisis within NATO,” The Straits Times, 18 February 2003.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Historical amnesia bars Japan from progress,” The Straits Times, 28 January 2003.
• Ong, Graham Gerard. “Taking the fight against terrorism to the high seas,” The Straits Times, 2 December 2002.

• IP6027 Political Risk Analysis