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Human Security and JICA’s Research Directions — Human Security and JICA’s Research Directions

This report summarizes Professor Mine’s online presentation, which traced the evolution of human security as both an academic concept and a guiding principle of Japan’s foreign policy, especially within the structure of the JICA. His talk also illuminated the philosophical underpinnings, dual developmental and peace-oriented threads, and practical applications of human security as envisioned by JICA’s Ogata Sadako Research Institute. This report is a part of a webinar exercise between ISDP and Mudroach University's collaborative project on Human Security and Indo-Pacific.

“Democracies can negotiate ambitious agreements”; Jagannath Panda in an interview with Table.Briefings — “Democracies can negotiate ambitious agreements”; Jagannath Panda in an interview with Table.Briefings

Following the EU-India summit and the conclusion of the FTA negotiation, Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, was interviewed by Angela Köckritz of the Table. Briefings. He argues that in India, the EU-India FTA is viewed less as a routine trade agreement and more as a strategic economic reset. He further says that the FTA elevates India’s status within European strategic thinking, from a regional actor to a systemic partner. This interview was published on January 27, 2026, both in German and English. A condensed PDF of the interview is attached here. You can read the full interview.

Undersea Cables at Risk: Lessons from the EU and Taiwan — Undersea Cables at Risk: Lessons from the EU and Taiwan

Federica Bagna writes that Undersea cable damages disrupt internet services, financial transactions, and critical infrastructure, affecting access to essential services, from healthcare and transportation to emergency response. Taiwan’s most recent attacks trace back to the first half of 2025, the EU’s to the end of 2024. All incidents are allegedly linked to Chinese or Russian involvement, but no definitive attribution or legal consequence has yet been established, writes Federica Bagna. Read the full blog piece here.

Command without Trust: Zhang Youxia’s Fall and the Crisis Inside the PLA — Command without Trust: Zhang Youxia’s Fall and the Crisis Inside the PLA

Niklas Swanström writes that Zhang Youxia’s fall represents far more than another corruption case. It marks the culmination of a multi-year power struggle between competing princeling factions for control of China’s military. Xi Jinping has achieved unprecedented personal command authority, but at enormous cost to PLA effectiveness, writes Swanström. Read this piece here.

When Loyalty Becomes Liability: The Fall of Zhang Youxia and Xi’s Grip on the PLA — When Loyalty Becomes Liability: The Fall of Zhang Youxia and Xi’s Grip on the PLA

Fatoumata Diallo writes that the fall of Zhang Youxia underscores that the current phase of PLA restructuring is driven less by corruption than by the enforcement of centralized political authority at the highest level of command. While leadership turnover may generate short-term frictions, the prevailing trajectory points toward continuity- and potentially higher risk tolerance- in China’s military posture toward Taiwan rather than restraint, writes Fatoumata Diallo. Read this piece here.

Elimination of Tropical Diseases: Strengthening Collective Action in a Fragmented World — Elimination of Tropical Diseases: Strengthening Collective Action in a Fragmented World

Viola Savy Dsouza and Sanjay Pattanshetty write that eradicating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is achievable. They argue that effective medicines exist, interventions are proven, and global manufacturing capacity, resilient supply chains, and a trained health workforce anchored in good governance are the enablers of scale and continuity. Leaders must now institutionalize elimination as a core public obligation, shaping not only the future of NTDs but also the credibility of global health commitments in an increasingly fragmented world, the authors argue. Read this piece by Viola Savy Dsouza and Sanjay Pattanshetty here.

After Davos 2026: Entering an Age of Contested Orders — After Davos 2026: Entering an Age of Contested Orders

Jagannath Panda writes that the gathering of political and economic leaders at Davos 2026 no longer resembled a ritual defence of a “rules-based international order.” Instead, it felt like a post-mortem. It also revealed a rare moment of collective acknowledgement that the existing order is not merely under strain but is being actively renegotiated. Amid all the talk of tariffs, leverage, and the “law of the strongest,” the central question that emerged is not whether the global order is fragmenting, but what kind of order is replacing it, who will shape it, and at whose cost, asks Panda. He further raises: Are we entering a world of bargains over principles? Can sovereignty endure under transactional geopolitics? And does this moment create space for deeper Europe–Asia cooperation, or does it accelerate strategic drift? Read this piece here.

Triangular Tensions and Tactical Cooperation: PRC–DPRK–Russia — Triangular Tensions and Tactical Cooperation: PRC–DPRK–Russia

Niklas Swanström writes that the China–DPRK–Russia relationship between 2020 and 2025 reflects a series of strategic interactions marked by intensified bilateral cooperation alongside enduring tensions and competitive dynamics. Rather than constituting a cohesive anti-Western alliance, the three states operate through overlapping bilateral ties driven by short-term tactical interests, and deeper integration is constrained by structural limits, writes Swanström. While the relationship exceeds a mere marriage of convenience, it should not be mistaken for a values-based trilateral alliance. Instead, it is largely reactive and oppositional in orientation, argues Swanström. Read and download this Focus Asia paper here.

Combating Maritime Insecurity: EU and NATO’s strategic role against shadow fleet in the Indo-Pacific — Combating Maritime Insecurity: EU and NATO’s strategic role against shadow fleet in the Indo-Pacific

This piece by Ines Vassort argues that shadow fleet expansion in recent years highlights the importance of international collaboration to safeguard regional security and stability. It reflects the willingness of some nations to pursue their national interests without considering environmental, economic, or military risks. Increasing the EU’s and NATO’s countermeasures against shadow fleets in the Indo-Pacific region is crucial for global actors, as long as they respect regional methods and interests, writes Ines Vassort. She further argues that enhancing collaboration on this issue on an equal basis will improve detection, prevention, and counteraction against shadow fleet deployments and reduce their impact. Read this piece here.

Events »

4 Feb

Gender Polarization among the Youth in South Korea: Predictors, Military Consequences, and Insights from Sweden
17 Feb

Silk Cage Series – Webinar I: From Corridors to Control: China’s Long Shadow in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region
19 Feb

Silk Cage Series – Webinar II: Corridor, Client, or Catalyst? CPEC and Beijing’s Strategic Leverage from Pakistan to the Indian Ocean

Publications »

Human Security and JICA’s Research Directions

Jagannath Panda

Security Expert Panda: “Democracies can negotiate ambitious agreements”; an interview with Table.Briefings

Jagannath Panda

After Davos 2026: Entering an Age of Contested Orders

Jagannath Panda

Triangular Tensions and Tactical Cooperation: PRC–DPRK–Russia

Niklas Swanström

Balancing Engagement and Confrontation: Taiwan’s Strategic Approach to National Security

Shiau-Shyang Liou

Nordic-Korea Cooperation in the Arctic : A Necessity to Continue the Green Energy Transition?

Niklas Swanström and Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen

ISDP Spotlight

New webinar series: Silk Cage Series (February 17 & 19) — New webinar series: Silk Cage Series (February 17 & 19)

The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs is organizing a new webinar series, the "Silk Cage Series". The first webinar on February 17 will focus on "From Corridors to Control: China’s Long Shadow in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region" and the second one on February 19 is titled "Corridor, Client, or Catalyst? CPEC and Beijing’s Strategic Leverage from Pakistan to the Indian Ocean". Welcome to join us!

ISDP welcomed Ulrik Nilsson for a discussion on election observation missions and challenges for democracies — ISDP welcomed Ulrik Nilsson for a discussion on election observation missions and challenges for democracies

Ulrik Nilsson, Member of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) from the Moderaterna party, visited ISDP to discuss international election observation missions in countries including Poland, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The discussion focused on his experiences, observations, the challenges posed by authoritarian states to democracies, and internal challenges within democratic systems.

ISDP co-hosted the Inaugural Central Asia-Nordic Think Tank Forum with the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent — ISDP co-hosted the Inaugural Central Asia-Nordic Think Tank Forum with the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent

ISDP was honored to co-host the Inaugural Central Asia-Nordic Think Tank Forum with the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Forum, following up on a May 2025 seminar hosted by ISDP in Stockholm that brought together Nordic and Central Asian experts, seeks to be a driving force in developing closer ties between the Nordic countries and the Central Asian region.