• 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
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • 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
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
    RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
    instagram instagram rsis.sg
      RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    RSIS Intranet

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

    Skip to content

     
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • IN MEMORIAM: SAM BATEMAN
    • 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

    IN MEMORIAM: SAM BATEMAN

    27 October 2020

    download pdf
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    IN MEMORIAM:

    SAM BATEMAN

    Senior Fellow and Advisor to the RSIS Maritime Security Programme


    ON 18 OCT 2020, the Maritime Security community bid farewell to a giant.  

    Dr. Sam Bateman, Senior Fellow and Advisor to the RSIS Maritime Security Programme (2004-2018), retired from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with the rank of Commodore and went on to become a central figure in the Track II effort to improve the region’s maritime future. His zeal for building a stronger, safer and more cooperative environment at sea, endless capacity to support the development of others, and unflappable drive to strengthen the community of likeminded scholars and practitioners were well-appreciated around the globe.  

    As the news of Sam’s passing travelled through the Indo-Pacific maritime security community, leaders called him a mariner, a mentor, a philosopher, a guide, a wonderful colleague, a true friend, and Australia’s greatest thinker on maritime issues. RAN certainly recognised these traits when he was sent overseas to represent Australia, placed him command of four different ships, and assigned him to senior postings in Canberra. His first travels to Southeast Asia were with the RAN in the 1960s, and Sam would often remind us that these experiences started off his affinity with Singapore.

    Even though Sam formally stepped down from RSIS in 2018, he was consulted regularly. His last trip to Singapore was in January 2020. His standing commitment to Singapore was pivotal to expanding the Programme in terms of capacity, impact and reputation. He guided the Programme which started with a focus on Southeast Asia to start thinking more recently about engagements with the Indian Ocean. He was adamant that there must be at least one graduate-level maritime security course at RSIS and developed the early iterations of the syllabus for the Maritime Security Studies Course at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College. Even as the Maritime Security Programme was focused on strategic and policy research, he emphasised the need to consider the interest and concerns of the wider maritime sector and shipping community.   

    As a scholar, Sam was prolific and his publications touched almost every contemporary maritime issue in the region. He was a regular contributor to RSIS Commentary right from the day he joined the School. The clear theme that rang through all his works was a relentless dedication to identifying and promoting opportunities to improve the regional maritime security through enhanced confidence-building, cooperation, and coordination. He believed that maritime security was more than about naval issues. His studies leading to a doctorate on the law of the sea, led him to an institutionalist approach to maritime security, arguing for rules, norms practices and conventions to promote cooperation among conflicting parties.   

    He stayed true to this course, even in recent years as interstate competition grew more intense and some voices on both sides criticised him for not being “tough enough”. Indeed, his toughness was to be found in the meticulous detail of his scholarship and commitment to finding realistic ways towards more positive outcomes for all those who rely on the sea. While his even keel may not have completely persuaded everyone, he was uniformly liked, valued and was respected for his transparently constructive and formidably well-argued approach.  

    Sam firmly believed in the importance of the ASEAN and ASEAN-led maritime security mechanisms, and that the Track II process can and must contribute to make it better. In the Track II community, Sam diligently served in several key leadership roles, including as the co-chair of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Maritime working group. He also represented Australia as the co-chair  of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Expert and Eminent Persons’ (EEPs) Maritime Security working group that conducted a study of lessons learned and best practices with regard to preventing and managing incidents at sea in the Asia-Pacific region.   

    As a leader and a mentor, Sam always took the time to foster individuals at all stages of their professional development. As a university lecturer and military trainer, he was well-respected by his students and hugely popular with everyone. As a critic, he was firm, fair and supportive. As a PhD supervisor and Track II event organiser, he charted courses for an entire generation of maritime thinkers. As a friend, he was the first to call you over for a drink, show genuine curiosity about your work, and offer sound advice. Always bright in his personal outlook, he buoyed the room.   

    All of us in RSIS deeply appreciate Sam Bateman’s humanity and scholarship. His mentorship and friendship enabled his friends and students to be always ready to engage strategically in the many maritime causes he espoused and to ensure a consistent and stable development of relevant maritime studies. We will dearly miss Sam’s sure-footed guidance in navigating an increasingly contentious field. He was 82.

    Farewell, Sam.

    Categories: Commentaries /

    Last updated on 27/10/2020

    comments powered by Disqus
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    IN MEMORIAM:

    SAM BATEMAN

    Senior Fellow and Advisor to the RSIS Maritime Security Programme


    ON 18 OCT 2020, the Maritime Security community bid farewell to a giant.  

    Dr. Sam Bateman, Senior Fellow and Advisor to the RSIS Maritime Security Programme (2004-2018), retired from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with the rank of Commodore and went on to become a central figure in the Track II effort to improve the region’s maritime future. His zeal for building a stronger, safer and more cooperative environment at sea, endless capacity to support the development of others, and unflappable drive to strengthen the community of likeminded scholars and practitioners were well-appreciated around the globe.  

    As the news of Sam’s passing travelled through the Indo-Pacific maritime security community, leaders called him a mariner, a mentor, a philosopher, a guide, a wonderful colleague, a true friend, and Australia’s greatest thinker on maritime issues. RAN certainly recognised these traits when he was sent overseas to represent Australia, placed him command of four different ships, and assigned him to senior postings in Canberra. His first travels to Southeast Asia were with the RAN in the 1960s, and Sam would often remind us that these experiences started off his affinity with Singapore.

    Even though Sam formally stepped down from RSIS in 2018, he was consulted regularly. His last trip to Singapore was in January 2020. His standing commitment to Singapore was pivotal to expanding the Programme in terms of capacity, impact and reputation. He guided the Programme which started with a focus on Southeast Asia to start thinking more recently about engagements with the Indian Ocean. He was adamant that there must be at least one graduate-level maritime security course at RSIS and developed the early iterations of the syllabus for the Maritime Security Studies Course at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College. Even as the Maritime Security Programme was focused on strategic and policy research, he emphasised the need to consider the interest and concerns of the wider maritime sector and shipping community.   

    As a scholar, Sam was prolific and his publications touched almost every contemporary maritime issue in the region. He was a regular contributor to RSIS Commentary right from the day he joined the School. The clear theme that rang through all his works was a relentless dedication to identifying and promoting opportunities to improve the regional maritime security through enhanced confidence-building, cooperation, and coordination. He believed that maritime security was more than about naval issues. His studies leading to a doctorate on the law of the sea, led him to an institutionalist approach to maritime security, arguing for rules, norms practices and conventions to promote cooperation among conflicting parties.   

    He stayed true to this course, even in recent years as interstate competition grew more intense and some voices on both sides criticised him for not being “tough enough”. Indeed, his toughness was to be found in the meticulous detail of his scholarship and commitment to finding realistic ways towards more positive outcomes for all those who rely on the sea. While his even keel may not have completely persuaded everyone, he was uniformly liked, valued and was respected for his transparently constructive and formidably well-argued approach.  

    Sam firmly believed in the importance of the ASEAN and ASEAN-led maritime security mechanisms, and that the Track II process can and must contribute to make it better. In the Track II community, Sam diligently served in several key leadership roles, including as the co-chair of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Maritime working group. He also represented Australia as the co-chair  of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Expert and Eminent Persons’ (EEPs) Maritime Security working group that conducted a study of lessons learned and best practices with regard to preventing and managing incidents at sea in the Asia-Pacific region.   

    As a leader and a mentor, Sam always took the time to foster individuals at all stages of their professional development. As a university lecturer and military trainer, he was well-respected by his students and hugely popular with everyone. As a critic, he was firm, fair and supportive. As a PhD supervisor and Track II event organiser, he charted courses for an entire generation of maritime thinkers. As a friend, he was the first to call you over for a drink, show genuine curiosity about your work, and offer sound advice. Always bright in his personal outlook, he buoyed the room.   

    All of us in RSIS deeply appreciate Sam Bateman’s humanity and scholarship. His mentorship and friendship enabled his friends and students to be always ready to engage strategically in the many maritime causes he espoused and to ensure a consistent and stable development of relevant maritime studies. We will dearly miss Sam’s sure-footed guidance in navigating an increasingly contentious field. He was 82.

    Farewell, Sam.

    Categories: Commentaries

    Last updated on 27/10/2020

    Back to top

    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
    OK
    Latest Book
    IN MEMORIAM: SAM BATEMAN

    IN MEMORIAM:

    SAM BATEMAN

    more info