Securing Advanced Research in the Singaporean Academic Community
 

Countering the Illicit Transfer and Misuse of Sensitive Biotechnology 

COMING: DECEMBER 2023

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STRENGTHENING RESEARCH SECURITY POSTURE 

As Singapore progresses as a leader in biotechnology research and development, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and commercial operations in the East Asia Pacific region, the risk of illicit transfer and misuse of sensitive research, data, and technology increases. With malign actors fueled by aggressive strategies that threaten innovation in the pursuit of national dominance, it is essential for academic and relevant government institutions to cooperate and strengthen their overall research security posture. 

On behalf of the U.S. Department of State's Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), CRDF Global is pleased to host a 2-day, in-person, research security focused workshop in Singapore for 20 representatives of the Singaporean academic and research sector in biotechnology and relevant representatives of the Government of Singapore. The workshop will foster inter-university and academic-public sector cooperation in Singapore on knowledge security and discuss how universities can develop screening platforms and due diligence processes to assess research collaboration, insider threats, and external hiring risk.  

 

 

WORKSHOP AGENDA 

The workshop will feature research security experts who will train participants on:  

  • Dual-use awareness raising specific to biotechnology; 
  • Proliferation environment threat assessment; 
  • Developing and implementing knowledge security measures such as due diligence/know your customer processes to assess research collaborations and personnel red flags.  

 

 

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES 

The objectives of the workshop are to: 

  • Raise awareness of research security threats posed by malign actors within the Singaporean academic/research sector; 
  • Build the knowledge and skills of stakeholders within the Singaporean academic/research sector to take steps to mitigate risks of illicit acquisition of dual-use research and data. 

 

 

WORKSHOP OUTCOMES 

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: 

  • Identify and recognize research and technology that is at threat for illicit/licit transfer and malign use;  
  • Understand and speak to the risks posed by proliferator actors to advanced areas of STEM research such as biotechnology;  
  • Formulate institutional best practices to secure their advanced and emerging technologies through red flag procedures as well as communication and cooperation within the institutional system;  
  • Recognize next steps for improving innovation and research security through communication with relevant government organizations.  

 

 

EVENT DETAILS 

When: December 13-14, 2023 

Where: Singapore 

Logistics: Carlton Hotel Singapore -- 76 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189558

Format: This is an in-person workshop with live presentations, moderated discussions, exercises, and opportunities for Q&A. Participation is encouraged. Attendees are expected to abide by Chatham House Rule, where attendees are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other attendee, may be revealed. 

 

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 

Eligible Positions:  
  • University and research institution leaders and administrators, department heads, research project directors, research laboratory directors.  
  • Representatives of relevant government agencies and ministries. 
Eligible Institutions:  
  • Academic and research institutions that create, manage, or handle sensitive research in at-risk, dual-use, and WMD-applicable fields such as biotechnology, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. 
  • Relevant government agencies and ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Health Sciences Authority, Government Technology Agency, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, etc.  
Eligible Countries: Please note that participation in this workshop is only available for individuals located in Singapore.   

 

 

REGISTRATION, FEES, AND LOGISTICS 

This Conference is free of charge to participants. Early registration is highly encouraged as a limited number of seats are available for the conference. 

Should you have any questions, need further information, have technical difficulties with your registration, or require any accessibility accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Abishai Kelkar (akelkar@crdfglobal.org) or Mr. Conor Wade (cwade@crdfglobal.org).

Register Today!

* Sensitive data will be stored on secure CRDF Global systems during registration review and purged following completion of the event.

Conference Speakers

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Dr. Matthew Brazil

Matthew Brazil is a Senior Analyst at BluePath Labs and a Senior Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation. He pursued Chinese studies as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, as an Army officer with tours in Korea and NSA, and as a graduate student at Harvard in their Regional Studies East Asia program. After a stint as the China specialist for the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement, he was assigned as a Commercial Officer with the U.S. Embassy, Beijing, where he both promoted and controlled U.S. high technology exports to China.

Afterward, Matt spent 20 years as a security professional, performing investigations in China for a chip manufacturer, and leading the development of a security organization in China for an American specialty chemicals firm. His PhD Dissertation at the University of Sydney (2013) described the place in the Chinese Communist Party of their intelligence organs. That and further research led to his contribution as the coauthor of Chinese Communist Espionage, An Intelligence Primer (2019). Matt is also the author of the China chapter in the Handbook of Asian Intelligence Cultures (2022) and regular contributor to the online newsletter SpyTalk. His next book concerns Beijing’s contemporary worldwide espionage and influence offensive.

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Brian Davis
Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired
 

Brian Davis is the Director for Research at BluePath Labs. He also serves as a Senior Fellow with the Center for Naval Analyses and as a Senior Advisor with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Prior to joining BluePath Labs, Brian served in the U.S. Army for 35 years as an Armor Officer and a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), retiring in 2022. He served in a number of assignments focused on the Indo-Pacific security affairs, including as Senior Country Director for China in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a tour in the US. Embassy in Thailand, and three tours as a military attaché in China, including as Defense Attaché. Brian’s final military assignment was as the Director of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s China Strategic Focus Group in Hawaii.

Brian's degrees include a Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University, a Master's in Business Management from Baker University, and a Bachelor's in Economics from Auburn University.

 

 

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Professor V Jesudevan
Founder, CEO, Tradekins
 

V Jesudevan has close to 2 decades of extensive dispute resolution, judicial and criminal prosecution experience. He was a criminal prosecutor and Deputy Senior State Counsel in the Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) specialist financial crimes team where he oversaw and led the prosecution of criminal matters, and was responsible for advising the Government on a variety of matters including countering non-proliferation. Concurrently, he is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore and an adjunct lecturer at Singapore Management University, where he teaches ‘Compliance & Risk Management’, a course which he designed.

 

Prior to joining the AGC, he was a District Judge and worked in one the largest law firms in Asia.

 

A Fulbright Scholar, Jesudevan holds a Master of Laws from New York University (focusing on compliance and risk management). He was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 2005. In August 2023, he assumed the role of President of the Centre for Trade Excellence, Singapore; a global non-profit focused on promoting awareness of compliance requirements and standards in export controls.

 

 

More About CRDF Global



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CRDF Global is an independent nonprofit organization that provides international training and capacity-building programming to advance safety, security, health, and prosperity. We promote international research integrity and knowledge security, data and IP protection, and cyber and information security globally. We partner with government agencies, academia, and the private sector to strengthen connectivity among experts and tailor the application of international best practices that allow for transparent scientific discovery and applications of research and technology. 

Learn more about our program at:  https://crdfglobal.org/what-we-do/research-data-and-technology-security/