Abbreviation CSIS Location Indonesia Founded 1971 | Formation 1971 Executive Director Rizal Sukma | |
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Type Public policy think tank Headquarters Jakarta Post Building, 3rd Floor, Jl. Tanah Abang III/23-27, Jakarta 10160 Motto Nalar Ajar Terusan Budi, "to think and share knowledge are the natural consequences of an enlightened mind." Founders Daoed Joesoef, Hadi Soesastro, Joop Beek, Ali Murtopo Profiles | ||
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit organization based in Indonesia which has served as a think tank for the government on social, international, political and economical issues. the CSIS was founded on Sept 1, 1971 by Hadi Soesastro. It was founded to give advice, ideas and support to government and other stakeholders such as parliament, political parties, businesses and NGOs and to reach out to the regional and international communities and to develop awareness of Indonesian policies and its state of development, while giving feedback to the Indonesian government on domestic and international developments.
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It is located close to the National Museum of Indonesia in Jl. Tanah Abang III/23-27, Jakarta.
History
CSIS was conceived in the 1960s as a strategic and security studies think-tank by brothers Jusuf Wanandi and Sofjan Wanandi. It is funded in part by the Chinese Indonesian business community and had the support of the Indonesian administration, including General Ali Moertopo and General Soedjono Hoemardani as well as two of the personal assistants of president Suharto. They turned down an offer to become a presidential think tank in order to stay independent and credible amongst international actors.
In its early years, CSIS was not trusted from the Muslim community in Indonesia as it was seen to be a Catholic and Chinese-biased institution.
In 1988, President Suharto distanced CSIS from his administration as a yearly memo from Jusuf Wanandi which advised the preparation of a new generation of leadership for Indonesia after 20 years of his presidential rule was seen as a call for him to step down. He then advised his government to sever ties with CSIS. However, some politicians still maintained links with CSIS.
Activities
It is actively involved in international collaboration, including hosting the Indonesian National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (INCPEC) for the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC). CSIS is also a founding institute of the Council for Asia Europe Cooperation (CAEC).
CSIS published widely in both English and Indonesian, including books and monographs of research, The Indonesian Quarterly (established in 1974), Analisis CSIS (established in 1971). It cooperates with the Indonesia project of the Australian National University to print and distribute the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES).
The institute hosts a topic-based library open to the public with around 50,000 book titles, and many academic journals, as well as a newspaper clipping service from national and regional newspapers.
CSIS is one of the founders and a long-standing member committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP).
Dr Rizal Sukma, the current Executive Director of CSIS, was instrumental in his advisory capacity to then foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda on the concept of the ASEAN political and security community during Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2003.