We would like to invite abstract submissions for the upcoming "Maritime Security Order in the South China Sea: Navigating Actors, Frameworks and Practices" workshop, organized by the Centre on Asia and Globalisation (CAG), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore. The workshop will be held in Singapore on October 13, 2025, and will be chaired and moderated by Asst. Prof. Yongwook Ryu and Dr. Barbora Valockova.
Maritime security order in the South China Sea has become increasingly polycentric, featuring three distinct centers of power: ASEAN-led, US-aligned, and China-aligned frameworks. This polycentrism creates functional overlaps and governance challenges as many maritime initiatives simultaneously address both traditional and non-traditional security concerns. While some scholars argue that such redundancies enhance resilience, others contend they lead to coordination problems, institutional competition, normative erosion, and escalation risks due to strategic ambiguity and accountability gaps.
The workshop aims to explore emerging patterns in maritime security cooperation or competition and maritime governance in the South China Sea, examining what these patterns mean for the future of this critical maritime space. Of particular interest is understanding the impact of new actors on cooperation in non-traditional maritime security, changes in gray zones and regional strategic alignment, competition dynamics, and the evolving nature of polycentrism in the region.
We seek submissions on topics including, but not limited to:
• Normative Domain: Evolution of maritime norms in the South China Sea; implications of competing interpretations of UNCLOS and customary international law for maritime governance.
• Institutional Arrangements: Interaction between overlapping institutional mechanisms (ASEAN-led, minilateral, bilateral); governance models that might best integrate these diverse frameworks.
• Strategic Rivalry: Middle power positioning amid US-China strategic competition; role of signaling mechanisms such as joint naval exercises and freedom of navigation operations.
• Non-Traditional Security: Impact of climate change and environmental degradation on maritime security cooperation; possibilities for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance as confidence-building measures.
Please submit abstracts of 200-300 words as either .pdf or .doc files via email to decb64_YmFyYm9yYXZAbnVzLmVkdS5zZw==_decb64 by June 20, 2025. Kindly indicate in the subject line of your submission, "CAG Maritime Security Workshop".
We will communicate accepted submissions by early July 2025. Full paper submissions of 8,000-10,000 words will be due October 1, 2025, and will be shared with all participants before the workshop. Following the workshop, contributors will be asked to revise their papers based on feedback received. A special issue and/or edited volume will be proposed depending on the quantity and quality of submissions.
Kindly note that the CAG will provide economy-class airfare to and from Singapore, accommodations for up to two nights, and an honorarium for accepted participants.