The South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) is an independent think tank dedicated to promoting peace and stability in South Asia and SASSI University based in the South Asian Institute as a Center of Excellence.

Its work is focused on strategic stability in the South Asia region, and thus on the emergent nuclear relationship which is at the heart of that stability.

The Institute takes a multi-disciplinary approach aimed at bringing together various streams of thought from across the social and natural sciences, policy makers as well as the academia. We hope to make a leading contribution to regional and international academic and policy-orientated research discourses about South Asian security.

The primary thrust of the work carried out by the Institute revolves around the nuclear questions and debates relating to non-proliferation and disarmament, with a particular focus on finding ways and means to enhance capacity building within and outside the region.

However, our remit goes beyond nuclear stability to include the wider issues of chemical and biological weapons, conventional force balance, civil-military relations, social and political stability, religious extremism, and the disputed territory of Kashmir, which inform the nature of security and stability in the South Asian security complex, and thus impact on the nuclear relationship related security issues. In addition, the Institute hopes to expand its research on issues such as energy politics in the South and South West Asian region.

SASSI seeks to encourage innovation in thinking about these issues and in particular welcomes young scholars and the application of new ideas in the peace and security thinking to the South Asian security problematic. To meet this challenge SASSI’s main objectives are:

• Engage the academic and policy communities in serious debate over the promotion of strategic stability in South Asia;
• Promote innovative ideas to reduce tension and build trust and cooperation in the field of WMDs;
• Contribute to academic and policy processes for establishing an arms control regime for South Asia;
• Facilitate South Asian scholars in the development of security research capacity in the field of WMDs;
• Provide an independent and neutral platform for South Asian scholars and other interested parties to engage with South Asian strategic stability issues;
• To network and cooperate with individuals and organizations across the world with shared objectives;

SASSI also conducts regular workshops, meetings and seminars with renowned academicians, policymakers, and researchers, so as to create an intellectual environment that facilitates furthering our objectives in these fields. The Institute is also working pro-actively to establish close liaison with similar and sister institutes, at both the national and international levels. As a result of these efforts, SASSI has gained recognition, prestige and credibility in an incredibly short span of time. Everyone here at SASSI is dedicated to the ideals of peace and learning, for promoting stability in the region as well as a better understanding of the region both within South Asia and beyond.