Blue security - a maritime exchange project
The Blue Security Program engages with and facilitates high quality research on issues of critical maritime security across the Indo-Pacific.
Bringing together leading regional experts in politics, international law and strategic studies, Blue Security focuses on three key pillars of maritime security: order, law and power.
Blue Security is a collaboration between La Trobe Asia, Griffith Asia Institute (GAI), University of New South Wales Canberra (ADFA), University of Western Australia’s Defence and Security Institute (DSI), United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D). It produces working papers, commentaries, and scholarly publications related to maritime security for audiences across the Indo-Pacific.
Blue Security receives funding support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.
You can follow Blue Security on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Linktree.
Publications
Issue 4 - The Impact of Covid-19 on Maritime Piracy in the Singapore Strait: A Routine Activity Theory Analysis
Dhiyaul Aulia Huda and Jade Lindley, September 2023.
Download Issue 4
Issue 3 - Fair Winds and Following Seas: Maritime Security & Hedging in the South China Sea.
Hunter Marston, Bich Tran, Elina Noor and Richard Javad Heydarian, August 2023.
Download Issue 3
Issue 2 - Sea Level Rise and Implications for Maritime Security in Southeast Asia.
Tara Davenport & Maria Pia Benosa, July 2023.
Download Issue 2
Issue 1 - What does it look like for Australia and Southeast Asia to develop a joint agenda for maritime security.
Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue, April 2023.
Download Issue 1
Strengthening Australia-ASEAN Cooperation in Maritime Cybersecurity
In ISEAS Fulcrum – Su Wai Mon, published 12 March 2024
Out of the Blue: Rising to the Challenges of Australia's Maritime Diplomacy
In The Diplomat – Tom Bamforth, Tom Barber & Grant Wyeth, published 19 December 2023
ASEAN maritime security and what next week’s navy exercise mean
In The Interpreter – Tom Barber, published 14 September 2023.
How ASEAN Can Win Its War Against Illegal and Unregulated Fishing
In The Diplomat - Asmiati Malik, published 17 August 2023.
Australia needs an overarching maritime security strategy
In The Strategist – Tom Barber & Melissa Conley Tyler, published 9 August 2023.
Why ASEAN nations need to jointly fund their fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
In The Conversation - Asmiati Malik, published 4 August 2023.
Challenges to Submarine Cable Connectivity in Southeast Asia and the Implications for Regional States
In Maritime Institute of Malaysia – Jeslyn Tan, published 20 July 2023.
The Five Power Defence Arrangements: How to Sail Past Fifty
In Fulcrum – David Andrews, published 13 June 2023.
Taiwan Contingencies and Southeast Asia: Scenarios in the Gray Zone
In Fulcrum – Andrew Chubb, published 9 June 2023.
Vietnam seeks safer maritime security partnerships
In East Asia Forum – Minh Phuong Vu, published 5 May 2023.
Tensions in South China Sea continue, but ASEAN successfully resolves maritime disputes
In Jakarta Post, Bec Strating & Troy Lee-Brown, published 3 May 2023.
Survival, Success and the Sea: The Importance of UNCLOS to Singapore
In The Strait Times - Tara Davenport, published 15 September 2022.
Navigating Maritime Security in the Bay of Bengal
In East Asia Forum - Troy Lee Brown, published 13 August 2022.
Philippine-China Relations: From Duterte to Marcos
In Facts Asia - Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby, published 8 July 2022.
Why Asean littoral states should worry about Cambodia's Ream base
In The Strait Times - Blake Herzinger, published 5 July 2022.
A series of articles in collaboration with Melbourne Asia Review
INTRODUCTION: Maritime Boundary Disputes in Southeast Asia
Nicole Jenne, 27 April 2023.
Lessons from successful maritime dispute resolutions in the Indo-Pacific
Bec Strating & Troy Lee-Brown, 3 April 2023.
Maritime Boundary diplomacy in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea has been the key to economic prosperity
Tharishini Krishnan, 27 April 2023.
Maritime Boundary Disputes in the Celebes Sea
Jay Batongbacal, 27 April 2023.
The Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Leonardo Bernard, 27 April 2023.
A series of articles in collaboration with Fulcrum.
UNCLOS: The Polestar for Philippine Maritime Ambitions
Jacqueline F. Espenilla, 8 November 2022.
From a Rule Taker to a Rule Shaper: The Importance of UNCLOS to China
Jade Guan, 1 November 2022.
Cooperation, Challenges and Charms: The UNCLOS for Japan
Yurika Ishii, 25 October 2022.
UNCLOS and Thailand: Security, Prosperity and Sustainability
Somjade Kongrawd, 18 October 2022.
UNCLOS’s Relevance to Taiwan Amid a Raging Storm
Huynh Tam Sang, published 4 October 2022
Girt by Sea, and by the Law of the Sea: Why UNCLOS Matters to Australia
Camille Goodman, published 27 September 2022.
After 40 Years, UNCLOS Remains Significant to Vietnam
Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh, published 20 September 2022.
Survival, Success and the Sea: The Importance of UNCLOS to Singapore
Tara Davenport, published 13 September 2022.
UNCLOS and Maritime Governance: Why It Matters to Malaysia
Sumathy Permal, published 6 September 2022.
Sovereignty, Security and Prosperity: Indonesia and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Aristyo Rizka Darmawan, published 30 August 2022.
A series of articles in collaboration with Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
Assessing Thailand’s Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Tita Sanglee, 10 January 2024
Assessing Vietnam’s Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh, 10 January 2024
Assessing the Philippines’ Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Ivy Ganadillo, 6 December 2023
Assessing Malaysia’s Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Fikry A. Rahman, 6 December 2023
Assessing Singapore’s Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Say Xian Hong, 6 December 2023
Assessing Indonesia's Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Tangguh Chairil, 21 November 2023
Assessing Cambodia’s Maritime Governance Capacity: Priorities and Challenges
Chansambath Bong, 21 November 2023.
Maritime Governance Policy and Priorities in Southeast Asia
John Bradford & Bec Strating, 21 November 2023.
Introduction: Assessing Southeast Asia’s Maritime Governance Capacity
21 November 2023.
About
Project leads
Associate Professor Rebecca Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)
Professor Ian Hall (Deputy Director (Research), Griffith Asia Institute)
Professor Douglas Guilfoyle (Head, Maritime Security Research Group ,UNSW Canberra)
Professor Peter Dean (Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre)
Melissa Conley Tyler (Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue)
Project manager
Dr Troy Lee-Brown (Research Fellow, Defence and Security Institute, University of Western Australia)
Emerging scholars program
Kate Clayton (Research Officer, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)
The Blue Security consortium is seeking expression of interest forms for early career scholars for the 2024 Fellowship Program. The Fellowship aims to support emerging researchers in Southeast Asia, promote diverse voices on maritime security and facilitate new research on maritime security. Each Fellow will produce one 8000-word Maritime Affairs publication and at least one shorter commentary. Alongside this, there will be funded opportunities to travel in Southeast Asia, and the successful Fellows will participate in at least one research workshop in 2024.
Fellows should demonstrate strong research skills and interest in maritime security issues in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on one of Blue Security’s three pillars of: order, law and power. The Fellowships will be based at La Trobe Asia at La Trobe University but located remotely. We are also looking for Fellows who are interested in enhancing research collaboration between Southeast Asia and Australia, and existing research collaborations and networks will be looked upon favourably. There is a strong preference for Southeast Asian Fellows that focus on Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Details
Remuneration: Each fellow will be paid a stipend of $5,000 AUD with opportunities for funded travel.
Duration: January-December 2024 (can be negotiated)
Institutional Base: La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University
Location: Remote
Experience: PhD candidate or 5 years post-PhD (not inclusive of career interruptions)
Expectations
Successful recipients of the Fellowship will be expected to:
- Produce high-quality research on maritime security issues in Southeast Asia. This includes one 8,000-word Maritime Affairs publication and at least one commentary;
- Undertake at least two presentations of your work in progress and final research findings;
- Participate in relevant Blue Security activities, including online dialogues and events;
- Participate in a workshop in Southeast Asia;
- Complete the project by December 2024.
Participation of in-person activities will be supported with funding from Blue Security. This includes travel and accommodation.
EOI Materials
At this stage, we are accepting EOIs. We may ask for more information in future.
- A one-page A4 statement explaining your interest in the Fellowship program and relevant research and work experience;
- A short CV of no more than 4 pages.
Applications must be sent via email to asia@latrobe.edu.au
The deadline for the application is Day 31 October 2023. Decisions to proceed with the EOI (or request for more information) will be made by 17 November 2023.
For more information on the fellowships click here. For further information relating to this Fellowship or the Blue Security Program please contact:
Associate Professor Bec Strating
Director – La Trobe Asia
b.strating@latrobe.edu.au