The Centre for Defence and International Security Studies is the oldest surviving centre of its kind in the United Kingdom, having started during the height of the Cold War in the early 1970s. Since its inception, it has contributed significantly to broad range of defence and security debates, given assistance to government departments, armed forces and industry in both the UK and abroad, contributions that secured its recognition as a Non-governmental Organisation by the United Nations.

It has been my privilege to be Director since the mid-1980s and I am dedicated to seeing the Centre continue the valuable work that has characterised it in the past. There is, however, one significant difference, one that reflects society’s shifting priorities and the changing nature of defence and security analysis. CDISS is no longer based within a University, but is an independent not-for-profit think-tank, much in line with those found in the United States. Being in the private sector has freed the Centre from a number of past obligations and has allowed it to become more flexible, innovative and adaptable when addressing the myriad of novel threats with which society, both at home and abroad, is confronted.

This move from the public to the private sector has required a change in structure. This has involved the involvement of an International Advisory Board and the appointment of a Board of Directors, that includes Mr Fergus Mitchell, who brings a wealth of experience from his work with the media industry, Major General Jonathon Riley DSO Phd MA as Honorary Associate and Lieutenant Colonel Chris Parker MBE as Honorary Programme Mentor, who both bring enormous global operational experience in defence andsecurity.The Board is concerned with the Centre’s standing and viability. Being in the private sector has enabled the Centre to engage a large number of associated experts when and wherever their expertise is appropriate and required.

Most importantly, the Centre is now freed to pursue a wider range of activities other than pure academic research. These include, inter alia, commissioned commercial-in-confidence analysis, contracted research, special interest workshops and colloquia, major conferences, forecasting, defence market analysis, and strategic assessments for the armed forces, government departments, industry and commercial and financial institutions. Above all, the intention is to be proactive in each of these areas.

This can be illustrated by the Centre’s activities over the past few years, which has included hosting a NATO conference in Prague on energy security, a colloquium on defence procurement in Latvia, and a conclave on the future UK carrier programme in London. Concurrently, a series of focused Special Interest Group meetings were convened in London on aspects of transport, cultural, and tourist attraction security. In the near future, the Centre will be hosting with the support of the Indian government a major international conference in New Delhi on space policy and security, and plans are already laid down for further meetings on energy and security, e-learning, critical infrastructure protection and major events security.

The work of the Centre is based around several defence and security programmes, each with its own programme leader. These include: European Security; Missile Threats and Responses; Nuclear Proliferation; Terrorism and Counter-insurgency; Space Policy; Aviation and Maritime Security; Defence Procurement; and Central Asian Security. Details of these may be found on our website. Each leader is committed to innovative work and analysis with an emphasis on policy relevant output that is of material value. The Centre has identified itself as being at the intersection of the concerns and interests of government, the military and industry, leading debates on defence and security and prudently helping to steer decision-makers where their scarce resources are most beneficially utilised.

Martin Edmonds BA, MA (Econ), PhD, FRSA
Director