The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is a one of two U. S. Department of Defense regional studies centers (The other is the Marshall Center in Europe.). It was established on 4 September 1995 as a direct reporting unit to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. The center is a multilateral, non-warfighting, academic institution which focuses on security at the national policy level. It explores how the increasingly complex interrelationships of military, economic, political, and diplomatic policies interact to create regional stability or instability.

The center's mission is to foster understanding, cooperation, and the study of security-related issues among military and civilian representatives of the U. S. and other Asia-Pacific nations. This mission complements and supports the U. S. Pacific Command's Cooperative Engagement Strategy. The center is also a manifestation of former Defense Secretary Perry's concept of "preventive defense."

Two-prong Approach

The center takes a two-prong approach to the study of security issues -- first through the College of Security Studies which focuses on future leaders, and second through a Research and Conference Center which focuses on current leaders. The center provides a focal point where national officials, decision makers, and policy makers can gather to exchange ideas, explore pressing issues, and achieve a greater understanding of the challenges that shape the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region.

The conference center was the first to mature, as the college continued to develop. Five major conferences were conducted from mid 1995 through 1996. Conference themes were: Peacekeeping Operations: Lessons Learned; Asia-Pacific Security for the 21st Century; Humanitarian Support Operations; ASEAN Regional Forum Intersessional Meeting on Search and Rescue; and the Senior Leaders Seminar. The five 1997 conferences were: Transitions of Power; The Pacific Symposium; Environmental Security; Asia-Pacific Security for the 21st Century; and the Asia-Pacific Senior Seminar.

The College of Security Studies

The inaugural class of the College of Security Studies began on 23 September 1996 at Honolulu, Hawaii. At the end of the 12-week course, 23 military officers and government civilians from 12 countries, including the U.S., had formed bonds and friendships that would last a lifetime even though they had spent many hours discussing topics and issues that could have easily left them less than friends.

Bonding and Building

During the graduation dinner, Indian Air Commodore Shashindra Tyagi eloquently expressed, on behalf of the class, the value of this experience. He said it took him 36 hours to get here from India. On the same plane were many of his colleagues from Thailand and Japan, but at that time he did not know them. He said when they all first arrived, perhaps they looked at each other rather suspiciously. Within a few days, however, they got acquainted, even to the point of kidding with each other. Most of all though, they realized that they could understand, appreciate, and respect each other even when they discussed sensitive and controversial security issues. He said he believed this first class had built the foundation for many classes yet to come. He further expressed his belief that Class 96-1 had indeed fulfilled the Asia-Pacific Center's mission of fostering understanding and cooperation, and that they would always be friends with us and each other.

The College's Curriculum

Security is the major theme, and the relationship among future military and government civilian leaders from 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific region is the focus. The college's 12- week academic program is composed of four elements: a core curriculum, an advanced studies program (electives), group study projects, and a field study program. Voluntary skills courses and a professional enhancement program are also provided. Col. Jimmie R. Lackey, the Center's Project Director says "the word security is purposely left undefined, because a security issue to one country would not necessarily be the same for another. It is the center's responsibility to maintain an environment that facilitates the identification and discussion of security-related issues across the region."

• The Core Curriculum provides a grounding in significant issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, including diplomatic and military matters, economic issues, and socio-cultural concerns. The emphasis of the core course is on studying ways to create and maintain cooperation in Asia-Pacific relations.
  
  
• The Advanced Studies Program (electives) complements the core curriculum. The college offers graduate-level courses designed to provide participants the opportunity to broaden and deepen their studies on selected topics. Each participant takes at least four electives during the 12-week program of study.
  
  
• Group Study Projects supplement the classroom components of the curriculum. Participants form small study groups (three to five members each) to examine selected aspects of specific geographic areas or specific regional themes.
  
  
• The Field Studies Program expands the center's academic analyses of important regional issues (military, scientific, economic, and political) through site visits that may involve interviews and discussions. Some examples are the underground operations of the Hawaii Civil Defense Center, a visit to all the military commands in Hawaii, and an off-island trip to the Maui High Performance Computing Center and Pacific Disaster Center."
  
  
• Skills Courses provide voluntary specific training in areas such as use of computers and various software programs, accessing the Internet and other practical subjects.
  
  
• The Professional Enhancement Program provides an opportunity for involvement in personal and professional enhancement sessions with visiting dignitaries and experts in a variety of fields. Some of the topics are: Asian Security Issues; International and Regional Organizations; Nations, States, and Ethnic Identity; Access to and Competition for Resources; Demographics; Ethics, Rights, and Security; The Media and National Security; The Policy Process; Confidence and Transparency; Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

Validation and Change

During the 12 weeks from 23 September until 13 December 1996, the inaugural class helped to validate the curriculum. Since that time, their suggestions and comments have been incorporated. All future classes will have the same opportunity to contribute their suggestions. As the project director often tells the classes, "this is a shared effort, we want to look at the Asia-Pacific region through your end of the telescope." He said, "if we ever pour concrete around the curriculum, we've made a mistake." It is expected, then, that the curriculum will mirror the Asia-Pacific region's ever-dynamic growth and change.

Participant Nomination and Selection

Nominations for foreign representative participation in the 12-week College of Security Studies courses come through the American embassies for final approval at the Asia-Pacific Center. The U. S. nominations come from the various military commands and government organizations through the college registrar. The participants are high-ranking military and government civilians (Lt. Col./Cmdr., Col./Capt., and equivalent civilian rank) who are involved in regional security issues and are identified as the future leaders of their respective militaries or defense institutions. While the course is taught in English, lack of English language capability will not be a detractor for attendance. The center has a state-of-the-art English language lab, instructor, and access to interpreters, as needed.

Course Emphasizes Computer Techniques

Each participant is issued a notebook computer upon arrival with unlimited access to the Internet. If the participants are not knowledgeable about computers, the center has computer experts who conduct classes during and after duty hours.

Center Still Growing

With about half of the 150-member staff and faculty in place, the center continues to grow. The staff positions in the center are Director, Deputy Director, State Department Advisor, Special Staff, Dean of Students and Administration, and Dean of Academics. A key staff position is that of the International Advisor, a position that will rotate among the Asia-Pacific nations. Additionally, the center will have international faculty in the College of Security Studies. A recommendation to form an advisory board composed of representatives from across the region is also being discussed.

Present and Future Location

The Asia-Pacific Center is currently located on three floors of the Waikiki Trade Center, 2255 Kuhio Avenue, Suite 1900, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815; (Web Site: http://www.pacom.mil/apc). For the next two years, the number of participants in the College of Security Studies will remain relatively small, 30-50 representatives, due to the limited space in the Trade Center. In late 1998, the center will move a few blocks away to a larger building which will become its permanent home. At that time, the center will have a facility which can accommodate up to 100 participants in the College of Security Studies.

1997/98 Class Schedule:

Class 97-2 11 August - 30 October 1997

Class 98-1 20 January - 10 April 1998

Class 98-2 11 May - 31 July 1998

Class 98-3 14 September - 4 December 1998