Call for Collaborators
Towards Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region: Policy, Governance & Security
A Project in Tribute to Commodore Sam Bateman
The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) are pleased to announce a new collaborative research project Towards Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region: Policy, Governance & Security. The aim of the project is to serve as a tribute to the work of the recently departed Commodore Sam Bateman (PhD) by advancing the many lines of research that he cared so deeply about. These include maritime and ocean policy, ocean governance, law of the sea, maritime safety and security, and regional maritime affairs.
This project will consist of two workshops, one major research conference, and an edited volume. We have begun recruiting collaborators to author chapters based on original research and novel analysis. We hope to involve a wide range of serious maritime thinkers to include younger researchers, serving military and coast guard officers, and representatives of the commercial maritime sector.
Project Timeline:
- Kickoff Workshop. 8/9 March 2021
The kickoff workshop will be the first step toward building the collaborative team that will deliver this project. The project leaders will outline the project and timelines as well as request feedback regarding the projects’ its aims, organizing principles and outcomes. It will also serve as a forum for potential collaborators to share their ideas regarding potential research topics for group feedback. The workshop will be an online/virtual event and is designed for participants to join one of the two sessions which are designed to accommodate a broad spread of time zones to aid participation in the project from around the world. Participation in the kickoff workshop is not required for all project participants, but it is highly encouraged. The workshop is expected to last about 2 hours, but the exact timing will depend on the number of registrations. To register for the workshop please follow the link session that better suit your schedule.
Session 1 (registration link) - time: 8 Mar 15:00 Honolulu/8 Mar20:00 Washington DC/9 Mar 09:00 Singapore/9 Mar 12:00 Sydney/9 Mar 13:00 Suva. Event will last 2-3 hours depending on number of participants.
Session 2 ( registration link) - time: 9 Mar 09:00 London/9 Mar 14:30 New Delhi/9 Mar 17:00 Singapore/9 Mar 20:00 Sydney/9 Mar 21:00 Suva. Event will last 2-3 hours depending on number of participants.
- Submission of chapter proposals. 18 March 2021
Scholars and practitioners wishing to contribute to the conference and edited volume should send a proposal consisting of a title and abstract or outline of 1-2 pages to
isjohnbradford@ntu.edu.sg. The project leads will provide feedback regarding each submission and then receive acceptance decisions.
- Submission of chapters. 01 Sept 2021
All participants will be required to submit completed drafts of their chapters by 01 Sept 2021.
- Research Conference. TBD Sept/Oct 2021
A 2-3 day conference involving project participants, prominent researchers and policy officials. Chapter authors will present their findings as an academic paper for discussion and feedback. The project leads are planning for this conference to be an in-person event with chapter authors being funded by RSIS to travel to Singapore. However, final decisions regarding the location and associated modalities will not be made until after we have a better understanding of the trajectories of the Covid-19 pandemic and the appropriate public health precautions. We can foresee this being a virtual or hybrid event.
- Project Finalization Workshop. TBD Nov 2021
A project workshop will assemble the chapter authors so that can discuss and make final decisions regarding the most important project findings, the optimum chapter order, and plan for book assembly tasks such as copyediting and indexing.
- Book Publication. Early 2022.
The project leads are currently working with potential publishers, but are confident we will reach an agreement with a reputable press.
Call for Proposals
- Individuals and teams are invited to submit proposals for the research activities to be included in Towards Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region: Policy, Governance and Security. Research deliverables will include an academic conference paper and a 5000-7000 words book chapter. The chapters should give tribute to the work of the recently departed Commodore Sam Bateman (PhD) by aligning with and advancing one or more of the many lines of research that he cared so deeply about. These include maritime and ocean policy, ocean governance, law of the sea, maritime safety and security, and regional maritime affairs, especially in the Indo-Pacific. Case studies from the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are particularly welcome. Papers should reflect original research and fresh insights. Chapters may be theoretical or conceptual in nature, but contributions should also be grounded in practical realities and align with Sam’s research interests and contributions. Early and mid-career scholars who were mentored by Sam or influenced by his scholarship are actively encouraged to apply. Proposals should include a working title and abstract of no more than 500 words. These materials should be sent to John Bradford at isjohnbradford@ntu.edu.sg. Queries should be made to the same address.
Project Leads & Editorial Team
- John Bradford, Senior Fellow, Maritime Security Programme, RSIS <isjohnbradford@ntu.edu.sg>
- Jane Chan, Senior Fellow, Maritime Security Programme, RSIS <isgychan@ntu.edu.sg>
- Stuart Kaye, Director and Professor of Law, ANCORS <skaye@uow.edu.au>
- Clive Schofield, Head of Research, Global Ocean Institute, World Maritime University <clives@uow.edu.au>
- Geoffrey Till, Dudley W. Knox Chair for Naval History and Strategy, US Naval War College <Geoffrey.Till.uk@usnwc.edu>
Commodore Sam Bateman, PhD
On 18 Oct 2020, the Indo-Pacific maritime security community bid farewell to Sam Bateman. Among Sam Bateman’s many accomplishments was his service as founding Director of the Centre of Maritime Policy (CMP) at the University of Wollongong, the organization that became the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) in 2005. Further, from 2004 to 2018, he served Senior Fellow and Advisor to the S. Rajaratnam School of Maritime Security Programme (2004-2018). Before joining the research community full-time, Sam served in the Royal Australian Navy for 40 years commanding several ships and as the first Director General of the Maritime Studies Program which later became the Sea Power Centre Australia. Sam’s legacy as a leader, a strategist, a thinker, and a friend is simply remarkable.
As a researcher and champion of improved maritime safety and security, Sam adopted an exceptionally wide research outlook that included naval operations, the role of coast guards, ocean governance, law of the sea, mariner well-being, and environmental stewardship. These research interests are illustrated by his scholarly contributions linked below. His maritime worldview shaped his influential views about the role of the sea in Australia’s development and place in the regional security environment. He also held a deep personal interest in the complex maritime situations of Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islanders Societies, spent many years involved in track II efforts to advance maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia, and brought attention to the need to improve understandings of challenges around the Indian Ocean.
Tributes to Sam have been published by many organizations including RSIS, ANCORS, the Australian Naval Institute, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and the Journal Marine Policy.