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Moving Past a Binary Framework: Openness and Security in International Research Collaboration — Moving Past a Binary Framework: Openness and Security in International Research Collaboration

The phrase “as open as possible and as closed as necessary” originated in 2016 as guidance for research data governance under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Open Research Data Pilot. Over the following decade, it migrated into national security guidelines, international policy frameworks, and institutional guidance as a governing principle for international research collaboration itself. This migration has had unintended consequences. This issue brief by David Biggs argues that openness and security are not competing goals but complementary and mutually reinforcing ones, and offers four recommendations for revising policy language to reflect that reality and better support the international research ecosystem it is meant to protect. Read and download the issue brief here.

Pax Silica: AI realigns global power balance — Pax Silica: AI realigns global power balance

Jagannath Panda writes for The Korea Times that Pax Silica represents something larger than a technology partnership. It reflects the emergence of a new Indo-Pacific strategic logic where semiconductors, cyber systems, digital networks, critical minerals and industrial resilience are becoming central pillars of regional order. The future balance of power in the Indo-Pacific will increasingly be determined not only by military strength but also by who builds the most trusted technological and economic ecosystems, writes Panda. He further writes that the Quad’s continued relevance lies precisely in its ability to adapt to this changing reality. Its success, however, will depend on how effectively it can build durable partnerships beyond its four members. Read this piece in The Korea Times here.

Security Without Institutions: China’s Global Security Initiative and Fragmenting Order — Security Without Institutions: China’s Global Security Initiative and Fragmenting Order

Scott N. Romaniuk writes that the GSI operates unevenly across regions and is adapted to local political conditions, and that it operates through bilateral mechanisms such as security training, arms transfers, intelligence cooperation, and digital surveillance infrastructure that extend Chinese governance practices without formal alliance commitments. Its significance lies less in institution-building than in the diffusion of alternative security norms, writes Scott N. Romaniuk. He further argues that while the initiative may expand China’s strategic influence, its reliance on ambiguity and discretionary cooperation has the potential to weaken institutional coherence and contribute to a more fragmented security environment characterized by overlapping frameworks, selective adaptation, and growing geopolitical competition. Read and download this issue brief here.

China, India, and the Emerging Green Divide — China, India, and the Emerging Green Divide

Lei Xie and Jagannath Panda write about the emerging divide between China and India on clean energy. They argue that China continues to consolidate its dominance across critical clean-tech supply chains while tightening its strategic control over sensitive technologies and manufacturing ecosystems. Yet the paradox remains striking: what is the status quo of China and India’s clean tech competition as both countries seek to scale industrial capacity and capture larger shares of the global energy transition market? How does this rivalry accelerate renewable deployment while simultaneously fragmenting trade, industrial policy, and supply-chain governance? For countries across the Global South facing rising energy demand and growing energy security challenges, can they truly benefit from this competition when the clean-tech order remains structurally asymmetric? Read this piece published in The Diplomat here.

Elderly Poverty in South Korea – An Uphill Battle — Elderly Poverty in South Korea – An Uphill Battle

Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen writes on how South Korea is working to institutionalize welfare policies at a slower pace, resulting in a persistent “care gap”. She argues that with projections indicating a continued growth in the elderly share of the population, there is an increasing need for societal solidarity and recognition of the rising costs of welfare measures. With the younger generation already expressing financial grievances in this area, South Korea faces significant challenges in safeguarding its elderly population from poverty, writes Rasmussen in this piece as part of the Korea Foundation research project. Read the piece here.

“Are Research Security Policies in the U.S. Working? A Case Study on Research Collaborations with PRC Defense Laboratories and U.S. Federally Sponsored Research”: An Interview with Jeffrey Stoff — “Are Research Security Policies in the U.S. Working? A Case Study on Research Collaborations with PRC Defense Laboratories and U.S. Federally Sponsored Research”: An Interview with Jeffrey Stoff

In this Experts’ Take, conducted by Mathilde Huard and Bastian Szepanski from ISDP’s Stockholm Center for Research and Innovation Security (SCRIS), Jeffrey Stoff discusses the critical vulnerabilities in U.S. and European research security. Mr. Stoff, a non-resident Senior Research Fellow at ISDP, argues that current policies fail to prevent the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from exploiting fundamental research to advance its military capabilities. To address this, he advocates a “paradigmatic shift,” including the creation of a centralized National Research Security, Integrity, and Compliance Center (NRSICC) and a unified framework of “redlines” for allied nations. Read this interview with Jeffrey Stoff here.

The great danger of allowing China to co-manage global order — The great danger of allowing China to co-manage global order

Following President Donald Trump's recent meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Jagannath Panda writes for the Washington Examiner that the greater danger lies not in U.S.-China dialogue itself, but in the gradual normalization of a bipolar order in which democratic allies become strategically secondary. He further writes that preventing the emergence of such a G2 framework requires allies across Europe and the Indo-Pacific to prove that American leadership remains both strategically valuable and geopolitically sustainable. Read this piece here.

Growing Intersection between Research, Technological Development, and National Security: A Report of ISDP’s Research and Innovation Series — Growing Intersection between Research, Technological Development, and National Security: A Report of ISDP’s Research and Innovation Series

The Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), through its Stockholm Center for Research and Innovation Security (SCRIS), launched the Research and Innovation Series (RIS) as an online platform to examine the growing intersection between research, technological development, and national security in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. The series brings together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to assess how different countries are responding to emerging risks linked to dual-use technologies, foreign interference, intellectual property protection, and strategic technological competition. Read this report to understand how Research and innovation security is now widely recognized as a strategic policy domain rather than a narrow technical issue. Download the report here.

Blue Economy, Strategic Seas: China’s Maritime Statecraft in Southeast Asia and Bay of Bengal — Blue Economy, Strategic Seas: China’s Maritime Statecraft in Southeast Asia and Bay of Bengal

This policy brief by Jessica C. Liao analyzes China’s evolution into a proactive maritime power, a transition central to its “Great Rejuvenation” and national security. She argues that beyond mitigating the “Malacca Dilemma,” Beijing seeks to establish a stable maritime order aligned with its strategic interests. The brief examines a dual-theater strategy that links China’s domestic “Blue Economy” with regional infrastructure development to promote maritime industrial and supply chain integration across Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal. While these initiatives expand Beijing’s influence, the intensification of assertive gray-zone activities in disputed waters has also triggered regional counter-balancing. Ultimately, Beijing employs normative rhetoric to position itself not merely as a participant in maritime governance but as a primary architect of frameworks that institutionalize its influence, argues Jessica C. Liao. Read the full issue brief here.

Events »

9 Jun

LGBTQ+ in South Korea and Learning Opportunities from Taiwan
10 Jun

ICES Annual Conference: EU-China Relations in an Era of Great Power Competition and Global Order Reconfiguration
Brussels
29 Jun

Digital Taiwan Lecture Series – Bridging Nordic Dual-Use Innovation and Taiwan’s Defense Ecosystem
22 Sep

Will China deliver? China’s next decade and the consequences for Europe: Final Conference – EuroHub4Sino
Brussels

Publications »

Pax Silica: AI realigns global power balance

Jagannath Panda

Moving Past a Binary Framework: Openness and Security in International Research Collaboration

China, India, and the Emerging Green Divide

Lei Xie and Jagannath Panda

Security Without Institutions: China’s Global Security Initiative and Fragmenting Order

Scott N. Romaniuk

The great danger of allowing China to co-manage global order

Jagannath Panda

“Are Research Security Policies in the U.S. Working? A Case Study on Research Collaborations with PRC Defense Laboratories and U.S. Federally Sponsored Research”: An Interview with Jeffrey Stoff

Jeffrey Stoff, Mathilde Huard and Bastian Szepanski

ISDP Spotlight

Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm — Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm

ISDP had the great pleasure of welcoming Professor Ryosei Kokubun, Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow, to Stockholm last week. During this stay, ISDP arranged a roundtable discussion on “Managing Sino-Japanese ties in the contemporary East Asian context” during which he presented future perspectives of the geopolitical balance in the East Asia region, highlighting the complex relations between China and Japan.

Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military — Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military

On June 4th, the Stockholm Taiwan Center had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable discussion with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu. The roundtable discussion was moderated by Yi-Chieh Chen. Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Gender and Politics at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. The discussion explored Dr. Liu’s findings from her research on Taiwanese women’s experiences in the military and was joined by ISDP research staff and experts from Stockholm’s academic community.

Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference — Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference

ISDP, represented by Dr. Niklas Swanström and Dr. Jagannath Panda, participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference held in Ulaanbaatar. The Dialogue focused on critical themes such as security challenges and opportunities for peace in Northeast Asia, preventive diplomacy and mediation pathways, artificial intelligence and emerging security risks, regional connectivity between Northeast and Central Asia, and green power corridors linking the two regions.

ISDP welcomed a student group from Penn State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology — ISDP welcomed a student group from Penn State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology

On May 21, 2026, ISDP had the great pleasure of welcoming a student group from Penn State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. Dr. Niklas Swanström, ISDP’s Executive Director, gave a presentation on the Institute, its research focuses, key issues related to research and innovation security, as well as Swedish security policy in relation to NATO and Russia. Afterwards, the students had the opportunity to ask questions and mingle with the ISDP team.

ISDP hosted an engaging academic interaction with Prof. T. V. Paul and Prof. Nabanita Chaddha Behera — ISDP hosted an engaging academic interaction with Prof. T. V. Paul and Prof. Nabanita Chaddha Behera

The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) hosted an academic interaction titled “India’s Search for Major Power Status and the US-China Rivalry,” bringing together two distinguished scholars of international relations: Prof. T. V. Paul and Prof. Nabanita Chaddha Behera. The discussion explored India’s evolving strategic posture amid intensifying great power competition, particularly in the context of the growing US-China rivalry and the changing architecture of global politics.

Polish Perspectives on Research and Innovation Security: ISDP welcomed Marcin Grabowski for a roundtable discussion — Polish Perspectives on Research and Innovation Security: ISDP welcomed Marcin Grabowski for a roundtable discussion

The ISDP team had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable discussion with Dr. Marcin Grabowski, Associated Senior Research Fellow with ISDP’s Stockholm Center for Research and Innovation Security (SCRIS). Marcin Grabowski presented current challenges concerning research and innovation security in Poland as well as core findings from “The Research and Education Security Report”.

Looking back at the Korea Foundation Guest Researcher Lieutenant General (ret.) Chun In-Bum’s stay in Stockholm — Looking back at the Korea Foundation Guest Researcher Lieutenant General (ret.) Chun In-Bum’s stay in Stockholm

During his stay at ISDP as a guest researcher (April 4th – May 10th), Lieutenant General (Ret.) In-bum Chun, a three-star general of the Republic of Korea Army, engaged in a series of high-level exchanges across Stockholm, all around his research into how middle powers adapt their defense postures to shifting security environments, with a focus on cognitive warfare, critical maritime infrastructure, and alliance adaptation.