“Issues for Engagement: Asian Perspectives on Transnational Security Challenges,” edited by David Fouse, is the latest book published by the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

 

An Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) faculty outreach team led by Director Lt. Gen. (Ret) E. P. Smith, traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for Track II (academic institutions) regional security discussions June 21-27. Co-hosted by the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC), the discussions consisted of a two-day workshop in Beijing, and an informal roundtable discussion at Tsinghua University and another in Shanghai.

 

Eighty-one senior military and civilian government leaders from 39 countries and territories graduated June 16 from the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies “Executive Course:  Advanced Security Cooperation.”

Reviewing terrorism trends in South Asia and strengthening regional cooperation to deal with terrorism was the focus of the "South Asia APCSS Alumni Symposium on Combating Terrorism" held in Male, Maldives, May 25-27.

 

The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) co-hosted the event with the Maldives National Defense Force and the Maldives APCSS Alumni Association. Funded by the Counter Terrorism Fellowship Program, the three-day workshop brought together representatives from seven South Asian nations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It was the first time all South Asia nations had attended a U.S.-sponsored counter-terrorism event in the region.

 

The symposium was attended by 67 practitioners and non-government experts representing the military, police, and others including current and former parliamentarians, ministers, diplomats, academics.

 

Topics covered during the Symposium included Terrorism Trends in South Asia; Countering Terror Finance: Interagency Responses; Mumbai Lessons Learned; Border Security in Countering Terrorism; Women and Combating Terrorism; New Media and Strategic Communications;  Weapons of Mass Destruction Issues/Combating Terrorism; Maritime Cooperation; and International Cooperation & Combating Terrorism.

 

According to U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka & Maldives, Patricia Butenis, "the APCSS Symposium was an important demonstration of U.S. commitment to Maldives and regional security cooperation." 

 

Amb. Butenis and the Maldives Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed officiated over the opening ceremonies. Numerous senior officials from the Maldives attended the opening and/or closing ceremonies including Maldives Defence Minister Mr. Ameen Faisal (TSC09-2),  Minster of Home Affairs Mr. Mohamed Shihab (SSD10-1),  Chief of Defense Forces Major General  Moosa Ali Jaleel (EC00-3), Vice Chief of Defense Brigadier General Farhath  Shaheer (EC99-2), Commander of the Coast Guard Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor (EC01-3) and Police Commissioner Mr. Ahmed Faseeh (TSC09-1).

 

The “Nuclear Tipping Point“ a forum to discuss the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the efforts to control them was held July 21 in Honolulu.  Co-sponsored by Hawaii Pacific University and the East West Center, the forum highlighted the threats of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapon as well as the significance of nonproliferation and current U.S. policy on nuclear proliferation.

 

Panelists included Dr. Patrick Bratton, HPU assistant professor of Political Science; Dr. William Wieninger, a professor from the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; and journalist Richard “Dick” Halloran, an adjunct professor at both HPU & APCSS.

 

APCSS professors  Virginia Watson and  Alexander Vuving  presented papers at the Asia Policy Assembly, an inaugural conference of the National Asia Research Program.  The two day conference was held in Washington, D.C., June 17-18.

 

Dr. Watson presented her paper entitled “Getting Blue and Ready: Water Governance in Asia.”  Dr. Vuving presented his paper entitled “The Transformation of Vietnam’s Behavior and its Lessons for Policy Toward Recalcitrant States.”

 

The theme of the inaugural Asia Policy Assembly was examining the meaning and exercise of Asia’s global influence. During the two-day Assembly, the program format included Plenary Sessions featuring presentations and keynote addresses, as well as numerous smaller roundtables covering a broad range of issues and regions.

 

Dr. Justin Nankivell received his doctorate from the University of British Columbia. His Ph.D. Dissertation, "Arctic Legal Tides: The Politics of International Law in the Northwest Passage," was successfully defended June 22, 2010.

 

APCSS bid farewell to several professors recently including LTC Matt Schwab, CDR Brian O’Donnell, and Dr. Rollie Lal.

 

Dr. Scott Hauger joined APCSS in April 2010. His area of expertise is that of science, technology and society, including issues of global change; environmental security; science diplomacy; barriers to international research collaboration; and innovation theory, policy and practices.  More….