Research Programmes

Research in the NTS Centre has been reconceptualised to reflect global changes in the last few years. Recasting NTS Centre’s research around  the two research streams of Sustainable Security and Crisis underscores the need to address transnational security threats with a whole-of-society approach.

Sustainable Security
The research programme on Sustainable Security examines slow onset scenarios with long-term impacts such as climate, food and energy security. The NTS Centre explores how countries and regional bodies build capacity, mobilise and share resources and expertise, as well as provide the platform for non-state actors like the private sector, civil society organisations, the international community, and local communities, to be engaged in helping the region cope with the complexities of NTS challenges.

This research theme covers four core areas:

Crisis
The research programme on Crises examines NTS issues that are quick onset and high impact scenarios such as disasters, pandemics, nuclear and biological hazards. The emergence of multifaceted and interlocking NTS issues  are testing the capability of states, regions and the broader global community to effectively deal with them. Just in recent years, several significant NTS issues, ranging from pandemics to disasters, have threatened the resilience of affected communities and states in the region. The NTS Centre examines how state and non-state actors as well as regional and global institutions forge practical cooperation to find sustainable ways to prevent, mitigate, prepare and respond to crises.

This research theme therefore focuses on three core areas: