Strategic Wisdom from the Orient: Evaluating the Contemporary relevance of Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Sun Tzu’s Art of War Can non-Western sources of classical thought enhance our understanding about issues of statecraft, strategy-making, foreign policy, war and peace? Is it important to study such non-Western sources? And, can such studies contribute towards creating more effective strategies of war and peace in the contemporary world? These questions are particularly significant at a time when there is increasing interest in tapping non-Western sources of international relations theory to identify more effective ways of addressing contemporary strategic issues. Akshay Joshi January 2019 Strategic Analysis
Saudi Arabia–Iran Contention and the Role of Foreign Actors The Sykes–Picot Agreement, the Iranian Revolution, the Gulf Wars, and other events that have unfolded after the Arab Uprising (the Arab Spring), have altered the course of West Asian history. Saudi Arabia and Iran are the new architects determining the course and its trajectory; also significant is the presence of foreign powers. As is evident that oil has been a crucial factor behind the West’s interests in the region. The article states that the new Cold War can be explained as a variance between Iran and Saudi Arabia; and the situation manoeuvred by foreign actors. Vrushal T. Ghoble January 2019 Strategic Analysis
An Iranian Perspective on Iran–US Relations: Idealists Versus Materialists Over the past four decades, the relationship between Iran and the US has been marked by conflicts, ranging from hostage-taking and sanctions to military confrontation. The present research aims at explaining the dispute by referring to the mindsets of the two countries’ leaders and exploring their epistemological origins. The main question this article seeks to answer is: what are the roots of disputes in US–Iran relationship in the post-Revolutionary era? Mohammad Reza Chitsazian , Seyed Mohammad Ali Taghavi January 2019 Strategic Analysis
India–Japan Defence Ties: Building a Strategic Partnership India–Japan defence ties that began less than a decade ago have witnessed unprecedented progress. Until recently they were dominated by military exercises, training and regular dialogues, but now they are entering a new and crucial phase as they embark on ambitious joint research on advanced technologies and development of systems which will have considerable implications for their strategic partnership as well as to Indo-Pacific security. It is imprudent to surmise that this is entirely due to China; rather, a variety of factors are contributing to the burgeoning defence relations. G. V. C. Naidu , Ishida Yasuyuki January 2019 Strategic Analysis
Assessing India’s Engagements in the INSTC and Analysing its Implications on India’s Commercial and Strategic Interests The INSTC formalised by India, Iran and Russia at the start of the new millennium to develope an alternative transport system linking India with Central Asia and Eurasia floundered for long due to scepticism and neglect by its member states. However, the withdrawal of the UN sanctions against Iran, the steady expansion of the Chinese influence in the region through the OBOR, and the urgent requirement of the land-locked Central Asian countries to gain maritime access offer new incentives for the member states to reinvigorate the project. Sanjana Gogna January 2019 Strategic Analysis
China’s Big Push for Solar Energy China has managed to establish an edge in solar energy manufacturing and technology, and any shift in its solar policy is likely to affect countries looking to increase their solar energy capacity. Chithra Purushothaman December 31, 2018 Issue Brief
Bangladesh General Elections 2018: What Next for the Opposition It remains to be seen whether AL in its third term will be able to address the issue of rampant corruption that has deeply permeated the governance structure as well as the issue of free speech that many believe the ICT Act has impaired. Smruti S. Pattanaik December 31, 2018 IDSA Comments
Bringing Capacity Building in Cybersecurity to the fore For a global build-up of cybersecurity, capacity building needs to be given much more importance than it has received till date. Cherian Samuel December 26, 2018 IDSA Comments
Xi Jinping’s Politics and What it Means for India There is a need to close the perception gap in India’s assessment of the state of Chinese politics, to distinguish between transformation and conflict, and respond accordingly. M.S. Prathibha December 20, 2018 IDSA Comments
BIMSTEC: An Unprecedented Opportunity for Collaboration and Cooperation in Cyberspace The BIMSTEC region offers tremendous opportunities in the field of cyber space. However, the full scope of digital dividend can only be harnessed if the countries of the region are able to get their act together and work as a team at the earliest. Ashish Chhibbar December 18, 2018 IDSA Comments
