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SINGAPORE: The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) will set up an ASEAN Studies Centre to further deepen its involvement in the grouping's integration process.
This will be part of plans to celebrate ISEAS' 40th anniversary next year. The centre will be headed by former ASEAN Secretary General, Rod Severino.
Another research entity - the Institute of Policy Studies, which has been merged with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy - turns 20 next year.
Both institutes will have Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew speak at separate events to commemorate their achievements.
ISEAS is an institute dedicated to the study of the region and one challenge is for researchers to keep pace with the speed of global change.
Its director, Mr K Kesavapany, is confident of staying ahead of the curve.
He said: "When ASEAN decided to bring about a more cohesive grouping in the shape of an ASEAN community, ISEAS as an institution, we set up conferences, seminars to put forward ideas so that it is not just a top-down process but also a bottoms-up process.
"When the Eminent Persons Group was drawing up their report for the ASEAN Charter, ISEAS played host to them. They came to the institute and talked to a variety of people, from the academic world, NGOs and business community. This helped the Eminent Persons drafting the charter to have a deeper understanding of what the ASEAN of the future should be."
Work at the ISEAS goes beyond the area of research. In fact, over the past few years, it has published nearly 2,000 books.
Some of them have also won international accolades, like the "Vocies of Islam in Southeast Asia" which won the outstanding academic title from the US.
On OB markers for researchers, Mr Kesavapany said the institute has two conditions.
He said: "They should be subject to laws of libel and laws of slander. Other than that, we do not impose restrictions, because in the academic world you have to have a sense of freedom to be able to say.
"But, of course, there has also to be a self-imposed realisation that what you say can also affect developments in the community and inter-state relations.
"Our most successful book has been the book on "Tun Ismail, The Reluctant Politician." We were given the letters from the late Malaysian politician who is respected on both sides of the Causeway. It has had six reprints within one year. It has been translated into Bahasa Melayu and now it is going to be published in Jawi."
For the future, ISEAS feels the region needs an institute to analyse the problems it would face.
Mr Kesavapany said: "With ASEAN moving at the speed that it is moving in wanting to create three communities, we need a lot of research on possible avenues and we also want an institute like the OECD which can independently monitor and track developments in the region."
And that includes enhancing research in areas like climate change and the environment, through a studies programme which ISEAS says is becoming popular among the academia.
Meanwhile the annual ISEAS Regional Outlook Forum will be held on 8 January.
Speakers will include former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The Singapore Perspectives 2008 on 1 February, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), will focus on scenarios for the next generation.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is scheduled to speak about Singapore in 2030 while four Ministers - George Yeo, Lim Swee Say, Yaacob Ibrahim and Khaw Boon Wan - will wrap up the session with a dialogue on the future.
It will be chaired by Kishore Mahbubani, the governor of the merged IPS and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. - CNA/ir
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