International Exchanges
To Cultivate Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation
Within NIDS, international exchange has expanded rapidly. As a pioneering organization in international exchange within the MOD, NIDS contributes to the improvement of the security environment through the fostering of trust-based relationships between countries. With the continuous qualitative improvement in education as its underlying principle, the following activities are being promoted proactively: meetings, workshops and seminars, regular reciprocal visits between countries’ national universities / colleges and national defense research organizations, conducting of lectures utilizing the mutual dispatch of instructors (reciprocal visits of professors), mutual dispatch of Regular Course field trips, and the organizing of international conferences.
In addition, NIDS accepts visits of other countries’ high-level staff such as Ministers of Defense, Chiefs of Staff, and Commandants of national defense universities/colleges.
The academic environment at NIDS is one which encourages the frank exchange of ideas, with students able to express their opinions freely without being constrained by government policy positions. At the same time, because NIDS is a MOD organization, discussion naturally moves towards those which will aid in the formulation of policy. The results of such discussions thus not only contribute to the qualitative improvement of research and education, but to the formulation of policy as well. Experts from abroad are frequently invited to participate in workshops and seminars, and so serve as a mechanism for academic exchange.
ASEAN Defense Research Exchange Program, November 2008
Dispatch of Researchers Overseas and the Acceptance of Foreign Researchers
Visiting Fellow to RUSI
In order to create a center for international activities in Europe, resident dispatching of researchers to the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies started in 2007.
Visiting Research Fellow and NIDS Fellows
Since 1992, NIDS has accepted security related researchers from abroad as visiting research fellows. Additionally, since 2008, a system in which notable researchers from abroad are invited as NIDS Fellows, with accommodation expenses covered by NIDS, has been in place. NIDS’ proactive engagement in these activities reflects its belief that it is through this kind of human interaction that valuable contributions to the policy research process can be made, while simultaneously building researcher networks.
The NIDS International Symposium on Security Affairs, February 2009