Leonard C. Sebastian is Senior Fellow at the Indonesia Programme, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Since January 2023 he has taken up a new appointment in the research track of RSIS having served in the NTU Faculty as Associate Professor since 2006. He served on the RSIS Management from April 2006 to April 2014. During his service for the RSIS Management, he raised over $3.7 million worth of donations for RSIS. Dr Sebastian was the inaugural Coordinator, Indonesia Programme from July 2003 to June 2024. His academic training is in History and International Political Economy (York University, Toronto) and in Strategic and Defence Studies (The Australian National University). His latest book, co-authored with Syed Huzaifah Alkaff, is Indonesia and Islam in Transition published in the Palgrave Macmillan’s Global Political Transitions book series in May 2024. He is author of Realpolitik Ideology: Indonesia’s Use of Military Force (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and Cambridge University Press, 2006 and 2015) and his refereed articles have been published in International Politics, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Asia Policy, Indonesia, TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, South East Asia Research, Defence & Security Analysis, Soccer & Society, Education About Asia, China International Strategy Review, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Southeast Asian Affairs, and Contemporary Southeast Asia. He is a contributor to International Relations in Southeast Asia: The Struggle for Autonomy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005). He is a co-author with Jonathan Chen and Adhi Priamarizki of Indonesia Beyond Reformasi: Necessity and the ‘De-Centering” of Democracy, Maryland Series in Contemporary Asian Studies, no. 3 – 2014 (218), Carey School of Law, University of Maryland. With Jonathan Chen, and Emirza Adi Syailendra he authored an IDSS/RSIS Monograph titled Pemuda Rising: Why Indonesia Should Pay Attention to its Youth. Together with Finn Laursen and Imtiaz Hussain he is a founding Editor of Global Political Transitions – a book series of Palgrave Macmillan. With Christopher Roberts and Ahmad Habir, he co-edited Indonesia’s Ascent: Power, Leadership and the Regional Order (Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). This book project and the accompanying policy report which studied different aspects of Indonesian Foreign Policy was funded by the National Security College, The Australian National University. His recent edited books are two co-edited volumes Rising Islamic Conservatism in Indonesia: Islamic Groups and Identity Politics and The 2018 and 2019 Indonesian Elections: Identity Politics and Regional Perspectives published by Routledge on January 2021 respectively. He recently co-edited a December 2021 special issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs where contributing authors applied models of decision making, actor-specific theory and Neoclassical Realism to the theme “Indonesia’s Foreign and Maritime Policies: Domestic and External Determinants”. Dr Sebastian is currently working on his next book which is a co-authored volume with James Guild titled State, Market, Society, and the Political Economy of Indonesia. Having completed a 5-year scholarship bond at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) where he served as Fellow from February 1995 to September 2000, he joined RSIS or as it was then called the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies as Senior Fellow in October 2000. He received his PhD from the Australian National University in 1997 where he was affiliated to the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. Over the course of his RSIS career, he has received grants from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Temasek Foundation for his research and networking initiatives. In October 2003, Dr Sebastian was awarded a research grant from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) after an open international competition to study militant Islamic movements in Indonesia. Research undertaken resulted in a report titled “Contesting Islam in Indonesia: A Contextual Study of Muslim Militancy”. As a member of the NTU Faculty, he has received the following grants: 1) Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 3, Type B, “Integrating Volcano and Earthquake Science and Technology (InVEST) in Southeast Asia”. Grant was awarded to The Earth Observatory of Singapore where research aims at revolutionizing the way we understand the processes and relations between the natural systems of volcanoes, faults, and associated phenomena such as tsunami and landslides. Grant was awarded in February 2022 with the official start date being 16 January 2023. As a Co-Principal Investigator, Dr Sebastian is responsible to produce policy relevant research outputs for dissemination to Indonesian and Singapore Government entities; 2) Social Science & Humanities Research (SSHR) 2025 Seed Grant Call 2021, “Steering a Middle Way: Great Power Technological Competition in Indonesia and Vietnam”. Awarded SGD 18,000. January 2022. Principal Investigator: project duration -2022-2023; 3) Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 1 Project Grant awarded in December 2014. Principal Investigator, “Growing of Religious Intolerance and Democratic Consolidation in Indonesia: The Role of Government and Kyais” (to August 2017). Award amount: SGD 67,525 (Project completed in August 2017). In April 2005, Dr Sebastian was a Freeman Fellow with The Asia Foundation. He was awarded the Fulbright Research Award in 2005 and was a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University in 2005. In 2007, Dr Sebastian participated in the inaugural Program of the Presidential Friends of Indonesia hosted by Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia. From 2008-2010 he served as consultant to Kementerian Pertahanan Republik Indonesia advising on the establishment of the Indonesian Defence University (UNHAN, Universitas Pertahanan). He also serves as Member, Board of International Advisors, SBY Presidential Center, Honorary Advisor to the Board of the Ancora Foundation and the Bakrie Center Foundation. Since October 2010 he has served on the Advisory Panel for Programme for the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies (BMSS) and the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies with Honours (BHMSS) at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). In January 2011, as consultant to The Asia Foundation, he served as International Policy Advisor to the Timor-Leste Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros-Timor-Leste) and assisted the Ministry in organizing its first ASEAN meeting. Between February 2015 and February 2016, he was Consultant to the ASEAN Secretariat undertaking a study assessing Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership application and its implications for the ASEAN Security and Political Commu¬nity pillar. He was Professor (Adjunct) at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analyses, University of Canberra (until August 2022) having previously held an appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy from July 2016 to July 2018). From May 2024, Dr Sebastian has joined the Advisory Panel of the Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia’s peer-reviewed journal – Jurnal Hubungan Luar Negeri. Since 2002, he has served as a member of the Advisory Panel to the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs (GPC-DFA). A regular visitor to Indonesia where he lectures at Universities, NGO organisations and Think-Tanks, his talks are aimed at bridging the gap between academic and policy relevant research. He lectures regularly at various government and security agencies, both in Singapore and abroad.

• Indonesian Politics
• Indonesian Defence and Security Policy
• Indonesian Foreign Policy Trends
• Political Islam and Militant Movements in Indonesia
• Indonesian Counter-terrorism Strategy
• Indonesian Political Economy and Decentralisation
• Singapore-Indonesia Relations
• Regional Security Developments in Southeast Asia with special reference to normative structures, the ASEAN Political and Security Community concept, and neo-classical realist approaches including the impact of domestic policy on foreign policy decision making
• Democratic Transitions in Asia
• Civil-military Relations in Asia.

• Freeman Fellow, The Asia Foundation, 2005
• Fulbright Research Award, 2005
• Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, September-December 2005
• Resource Panel Member, Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs (GPC-DFA) since 22 May 2002
• Consultant for the Singapore Trade Development Board (now known as International Enterprise Singapore), June 2000-2001
• Consultant, Centra Technologies, Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S.A. November 2008-August 2009
• Consultant, Golkar Party Chairman, Mr Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar Party Analysis and Key Recommendations, June 2010
• Member, Advisory Board, UNISCI Discussion Papers, Research Unit on International Security and Cooperation, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain since January 2006
• Inaugural Program of the Presidential Friends of Indonesia, Department of Foreign Affairs, The Republic of Indonesia, 13-18 August 2008
• Consultant to Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence advising on the establishment of the Indonesian Defence University (UNHAN, Universitas Pertahanan), 2008-2010
• International Policy Advisor, Ministerio Dos Negocios Estrangeiros Timor-Leste (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste) – consultancy sponsored by The Asia Foundation, San Francisco, from 22 January to 4 February 2011
• Honorary Advisor of the Board of the Ancora Foundation and the Bakrie Center Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia
• Board of International Advisors, SBY Presidential Center, Sentul, Republic of Indonesia since 1 April 2016
• Resident Indonesia analyst for Channel News Asia since 2013
• Advisory Panel for Programme for the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies (BMSS) and the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies with Honours (BHMSS) at UniSIM from 14 October 2010 to 31 December 2016
• External Examiner for the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies (BMSS) and the Bachelor of Management and Security Studies with Honours (BHMSS) at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) since 1 January 2017
• International Policy Advisor to the Timor-Leste Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros-Timor-Leste), 2011
• Consultant, ASEAN Secretariat: Assessing Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership application and its implications for the ASEAN Security and Political Commu­nity pillar, February 2015 and February 2016
• Guest Editor, Special Focus: Political Parties and Democracy in Indonesia, South East Asia Research, December 2012
• Editor, Global Political Transitionsseries, Palgrave Macmillan since 2016
• International Editorial Board, Walisongo Jurnul Penelitian Social Keagamaan since 2017
• July 2016-July 2018: Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Canberra campus, University of New South Wales
• September 2018-August 2021: Professor (Adjunct) at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra

IDSS Papers

• IP24047 | Prabowo's Victory and Competing Visions of Democracy in Indonesia: Post-Election Reflections

  02 May, 2024

• IP24015 | The Role of Islam and Political Dynamics in the Run-up to the 2024 Elections in West Sumatra

  12 February, 2024

• IP24016 | The Role of Islam and Political Dynamics Ahead of the 2024 Elections in South Sumatra

  12 February, 2024

• IP24014 | The Role of Islam and Political Dynamics Shaping the 2024 Elections in North Sumatra

  12 February, 2024

• IP24003 | Social Media and the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election: What’s New and What’s Not

  12 January, 2024

• IP21025 | The Infiltration of Jemaah Islamiyah into Indonesian State and Society

  23 December, 2021

• IP21007 | The Unspoken: Indonesia Navigates Great Power Rivalry

  22 October, 2021

Monographs

• Pemuda Rising Why Indonesia Should Pay Attention to its Youth

  28 April, 2014

Working Papers

• WP227 | Assessing 12-year Miltary Reform in Indonesia: Major Strategic Gaps for the Next Stage of Reform

  06 April, 2011

Policy Reports

• Timor-Leste Celebrates a Decade of Independence

  05 July, 2012

• Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and His Generals

  01 January, 2007

RSIS Commentaries

• All Eyes on Prabowo’s Next Steps After Jokowi’s Deft Balancing Act

  03 October, 2024

• Steering the G20 and ASEAN the bebas aktif way

  25 May, 2023

• Indonesia-Singapore Ties: Timely Breakthrough

  26 January, 2022

• Regional Order: Indonesia’s Shifting Redlines?

  17 December, 2021

• COVID-19: Bad Patch for Batam’s Economy

  30 March, 2020

• COVID-19: Impact on Bintan’s Tourism Sector

  02 March, 2020

• Sarungan vs Cingkrangan: Elections and Contestations Within Indonesian Islam

  28 May, 2019

• Too Close To Call: Whoever Wins, Must Win Decisively

  17 April, 2019

• CO17162 | Singapore-Indonesia Defence Relations: Key Building Block of Bilateral Partnership

  07 September, 2017

• CO17071 | Who Wins Jakarta Election: Does it Matter?

  18 April, 2017

• CO15152 | Jokowi’s Cabinet Reshuffle: Juggling Performance, Patronage and Politics

  15 July, 2015

• CO14207 | Jokowi’s “Look West” Foreign Policy: Expanding Indonesia’s Sphere of Influence?

  21 October, 2014

• CO14137 | Indonesia’s Disputed 2014 Presidential elections: What next?

  11 July, 2014

• CO14029 | The Usman-Harun Issue: Some Thoughts for Indonesia to Ponder

  12 February, 2014

• CO12180 | Jakarta Governor's Election: Implications for 2014

  27 September, 2012

• CO12132 | Indonesia's regional diplomacy: Imperative to maintain ASEAN cohesion

  23 July, 2012

• CO12005 | Indonesia’s Political Outlook 2012

  09 January, 2012

• CO11168 | Indonesia and EAS: Search for a ‘dynamic equilibrium’

  16 November, 2011

• CO08044 | Tightening the security cordon to capture Mas Selamat: The need for Preventive Surveillance

  09 April, 2008

• CO08044 | Tightening the security cordon to capture Mas Selamat: The need for Preventive Surveillance

  09 April, 2008

• CO08029 | The Emerging TNI elite: Impact of Recent Reshuffles

  06 March, 2008

• CO07126 | Defence Budgeting in Indonesia: Some Policy Options

  21 November, 2007

• CO07126 | Defence Budgeting in Indonesia: Some Policy Options

  21 November, 2007

• CO06098 | Indonesian Peacekeepers in Lebanon

  13 September, 2006

• CO06028 | Papuan unity and Australia-Indonesia relations

  24 April, 2006

• CO04009 | Indonesia’s General Elections: A New System for a New Era

  05 April, 2004

• CO03036 | Towards an ASEAN Security Community at Bali

  03 October, 2003

• CO02035 | New Directions for Indonesia – Singapore Relations

  29 November, 2002

• CO02025 | Indonesia’s New Anti-Terrorism Regulations

  25 October, 2002

• CO02015 | Impact of Sep 11 on Indonesia: One year after

  10 September, 2002

• CO01004 | Can Megawati Win the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Moderate Muslims in Indonesia

  01 December, 2001

Authored Books

• Indonesia and Islam in Transition (with Syed Huzaifah Bin Othman Alkaff). Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, 2024
• Sebastian, Leonard C., Realpolitik Ideology: Indonesia’s Use of Military Force, (Singapore: ISEAS, 2006, pages)
• International Relations in Southeast Asia: The Struggle for Autonomy (with Ralf Emmers, Donald Weatherbee, and Mari Pangestu). New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005

Journal Articles

• “Indonesia’s Russia-Ukraine war stance and the Global South: Between solidarity and transactionalism” (with Adhi Priamarizki) in Global Policy, 2024
• “The Return of Aliran to the Lexicon of Indonesian Politics” in Asia Policy, 19, 2, 2024, 226-230
• “Let Sleeping Bears Lie: An Analysis of The Factors Behind Indonesia’s Response to the Russo–Ukrainian War and Its Implications for the Indo-Pacific Region” (with Keoni Marzuki) in International Politics, 2023
• “Indonesia’s Foreign and Maritime Policies Under Joko Widodo: Domestic and External Determinants” (with Jonathan Chen) in Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 8, 3, 2021. 287-303
• “A Soft Approach to Counter Radicalism: The Role of Traditional Islamic Education” (with Syamsul Ma'arif, and Sholihan) in Walisongo: Jurnal Penelitian Sosial Keagamaan, 28, 1, 2020. 1-28
• “Special Editor’s Introduction: TraNS Special Section on ‘Growing Religious Intolerance in Indonesia’” (with Alexander Raymond Arifianto) in TRaNS: Trans-National and Regional Studies of Southeast Asia, 8, 2020, 2020. 1-5
• “Sebastian, Leonard C., Emirza Adi Syailendra, and Keoni Indrabayu Marzuki, “Civil-Military Relations in Indonesia after the Reform Period”, Asia Policy, Vol. 13, No. 3 (2018): pp. 49-78” (with Emirza Adi Syailendra, and Keoni Indrabayu Marzuki) in Asia Policy, Vol. 13, No 3 , 2018. pp. 49-78
• “Sebastian, Leonard C., and Emirza Adi Syailendra, “Cooperation amidst Distrust in Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Behaviour towards China: A Neoclassical Realist Approach”, China International Strategy Review 2017, Institute of International and Strategic Studies, School of International Studies, Peking University (January 2018): pp. 229-256 (English edition)” (with Emirza Adi Syailendra) in China International Strategy Review 2017, -, -, 2018. 48-55
• “Sebastian, Leonard C. “Indonesia dan ASEAN: Mencari Titik Temu antara Kepentingan Nasonal dan Regional”, Strategi: Politik, Ekonomi & Keamanan, Volume 1, nomor 2 Oktober/November 2017: pp. 48-55” in Strategi: Politik, Ekonomi & Keamanan, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2017, 48-55
• “Sebastian, Leonard C. “What Soccer Means To Me: National Integration through the Prism of Soccer in Singapore”, Special Issue on Sports, Culture and Asia, Education About Asia, Vol 21, no. 2 (Fall 2016)” in Education About Asia, 21, 2, 2016, pp. 1-3
• “Sebastian, Leonard C. “Indonesia, Asia and the World”, Education About Asia, Vol 21, no. 1 (Spring 2016): pp. 28-33. The Association for Asian Studies.” in Education About Asia, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2016, pp. 28-33
• “Indonesia Beyond Reformasi : Necessity and the ‘De-Centering’ of Democracy” (with Jonathan Chen, and Adhi Priamarizki) in Maryland Series in Contemporary Asian Studies, , 2014, 3, 2014.
• Sebastian, Leonard C., and Iis Gindarsah, “Assessing Military Reform in Indonesia” Defence & Security Analysis, Vol. 29, Issue 4 2013
• Dorsey, James M., and Leonard C. Sebastian, “The Politics of Indonesian and Turkish Soccer: a Comparative Analysis,” Soccer and Society, Vol. 14, Issue 5, 2013
• Sebastian, Leonard C., “Political Parties and Democracy in Indonesia,” South East Asia Research, (Volume 20, no 4, December 2012

Edited Books / Special Issues

• The 2018 and 2019 Indonesian Elections: Identity Politics and Regional Perspectives (with Alexander Raymond Arifianto), Eds. Abingdon: Routledge, 2020
• Rising Islamic Conservatism in Indonesia: Islamic Groups and Identity Politics (with Syafiq Hasyim, and Alexander Raymond Arifianto), Eds. Abingdon: Routledge, 2020
• Indonesia’s Ascent: Power, Leadership, and the Regional Order (with Christopher B. Roberts, and Ahmad D. Habir), Eds. : Palgrave Macmillan, 2015
• Roberts, Christopher B.,  Ahmad D. Habir and Leonard C. Sebastian. Indonesia at Home and Abroad: Economics, Politics and Security. Canberra: National Security College, 2014.

Chapters in Edited Books

• “When Relationships Change: Singapore-Indonesia Ties after Suharto and the Importance of Growing Together” in Gillian Koh, Commentary on Singapore: Foreign Policy, Governance and Leadership. Singapore: World Scientific, 2024, 89-105
• “Sebastian, Leonard C., “When relationships change: Singapore-Indonesia ties after Suharto and the importance of growing together”, in Gillian Koh, ed., The Little Nation that Can: Singapore Foreign Relations and Diplomacy, Commentary: The National University of Singapore Society, Volume 26, 2017: pp. 54-67” in Gillian Koh, The Little Nation that Can: Singapore Foreign Relations and Diplomacy. Singapore: The National University of Singapore Society, 2017, 54-67
• Sebastian, Leonard C., Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto and I Made Andi Arsana. “Indonesia and the Law of the Sea: Beyond the Archipelagic Outlook”, National Security College Issue Brief No. 9 in Indonesia at Home and Abroad: Economics, Politics and Security edited by Christopher B. Roberts, Ahmad D. Habir and Leonard C. Sebastian. Canberra: National Security College, 2014.
• Sebastian Leonard C., and Iisgindarsah, “Taking Stock of Military Reform in Indonesia”, in Jurgen Ruland, Maria-Gabriela Manea and Hans Born (eds.), The Politics of Military Reform: Experiences from Indonesia and Nigeria (Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag 2012): pp. 29-57.
• Sebastian, Leonard C., “Perceiving Indonesian Approaches to International Relations Theory” in Amitav Acharya and Barry Buzan, (eds.), Why is There no Non-Western International Relations Theory (forthcoming; co-author)
• Sebastian, Leonard C. “Domestic Stability Priorities, ‘Balance of Interests’ and Indonesia’s Management of Regional Order” in Joseph Chinyong Liow and Ralf Emmers, (eds.), Order and Security in Southeast Asia: Essays in honour of Michael Leifer, (London: Routledge, 2005)
• Sebastian, Leonard C., “Terrorism and Transnational Crime in Southeast Asian International Relations,” in Donald E. Weatherbee et. al., International Relations in Southeast Asia: The Struggle for Autonomy (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), Chapter 6, pp. 156-186.
• Sebastian, Leonard C., “The Indonesian Dilemma: How to Participate in the War on Terror Without Becoming a National Security State”, in Kumar Ramakrishna and See Seng Tan, (eds.), After Bali: The Threat of Terrorism in Southeast Asia, (Singapore: Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies/World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd, 2004), pp. 357-382.

Op-Eds

• “Prabowo Cabinet: The fine art of balancing”, The Straits Times, 30 October 2024
• “All eyes on Prabowo’s next steps after Jokowi’s deft balancing act” (with Januar Aditya Pratama), The Straits Times, 26 September 2024
• “Jokowi Casts a Long Shadow Over Indonesia”, The Straits Times, 19 August 2023
• “Indonesia’s Shifting Redlines on Regional Security” (with Emirza Adi Syailendra), East Asia Forum, 7 December 2021

• AS6010 State and Politics in Modern Indonesia
• S6041 Comparative Civil-Military relations: In Theory and Practice