Military Studies Programme

The Military Studies Programme (MSP) was instituted in 2012. It traces its genesis from the then-Institute of Defence Studies, which had the responsibility of educating senior Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers at the former Singapore Command and Staff College, as well as provide policy-related research for Singapore’s Ministry of Defence and the SAF.

Today, MSP is the strategic partner of the SAF in its Professional Military Education (PME), working with the SAF-NTU Academy and the various SAF schools, including the Officer Cadet School, the SAF Advanced Schools, the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) and the SAFWOS Leadership School, to this effect. As part of this PME role, MSP conducts tailored lessons for various SAF courses focusing on two broad topics: military and strategic studies, and geopolitics and international relations. These SAF courses include:

Courses at the Master’s level at the GKS CSC
Joint Foundation Course
Joint Warfighting Course
Officer Cadet Course
Joint Senior Leadership Course
Joint Advanced Leadership Course
Joint Leadership Course

MSP accomplishes these through a team with diverse expertise and research agendas aimed towards credibility and relevance. Recent select publications include:

Ian Li Huiyuan, “Lessons from Russia’s Use of Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine” in POINTER Monograph, 17, 2025, pp 23-32
Thomas Lim, “Denial into Limited Sea Control: Ukraine’s Naval Defence against Russia” in POINTER Monograph, 17, 2025, pp 14-22
Ang U-Jin Adrian, Chang Jun Yan and Bernard Fook Weng Loo, “Keeping Friends Close and Enemies Closer: Praxis in International Security Order and the Singapore Armed Forces” in Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 46, Issue 4, 2025, pp. 751-780.
Chang Jun Yan and Nicole Jenne, “Pendulum Swings Rather Than Paradigm Shifts: Southeast Asia’s Securitisation and the Global War on Terror” in European Journal of International Security, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2025, pp. 60-77.
Wendy He and Pascal Vennesson, “Getting Inside the Mind of Leaders and Advisers: A Data Collection Strategy for Historical Case Studies in IR” in International Studies Perspectives, Vol. 26, Issue 3, 2025, pp. 356- 376.
Haridas Ramasamy and Hoo Tiang Boon, “Living with China and the United States: Singapore’s Manual” in Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Volume 25, Issue 1, 2024, pp. 123-131.
Chang Jun Yan, “Framing Minilateralism in the Asia-Pacific”, Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research, 10 September 2024.
Thomas Lim, “Comparing Gray-Zone Tactics in the Red Sea and the South China Sea”, The Diplomat, 20 April 2024.
Chang Jun Yan, “US Security View of China Is Not Black and White”, CNA, 23 April 2024.
Ian Li Huiyuan, “Swift and Decisive – An Anachronistic Ideal?”, Wavell Room, 1 March 2024.
Bernard Loo Fook Weng and James Char, editors, Strategic Currents: China and US Competition for Influence, Singapore: World Scientific, 2024.

The Programme also aims to create a networking platform for military officers, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the dynamic changing security environment and the challenges for military and national leadership in these issues.

Programme Staff

Dr Chang Jun Yan
Assistant Professor
Head of Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6484
Email: [email protected]

Dr Pascal Vennesson
Senior Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6624
Email: [email protected]

Dr Bernard Loo Fook Weng
Senior Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6908
Email: [email protected]

Dr Collin Koh Swee Lean
Senior Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6623
Email: [email protected]

Dr Nah Liang Tuang
Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6625
Email: [email protected]

Dr Sandeep Singh
Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6849
Email: [email protected]

Dr Ian Li Huiyuan
Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6979
Email: [email protected]

Dr Wendy He
Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6428
Email: [email protected]

Mr Lim Hao Ze, Thomas
Associate Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 7275
Email: [email protected]

Mr Haridas Ramasamy
Associate Research Fellow, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6622
Email: [email protected]

Ms Artemida Fang Yuan
Research Analyst, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6626
Email: [email protected]

Ms Anna Tan
Centre Manager, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6790 6215
Email: [email protected]

Ms Iris Lim
Administrative Executive, Military Studies Programme, IDSS
DID: +65 6513 2742
Email: [email protected]

Adjunct Fellows

Dr Alvin Tan
Adjunct Fellow ( 2025 to present)
Military Studies Programme, IDSS

To reach the Military Studies Programme, email us at [email protected].