THE think-tank was set up in tumultuous times, during an era when Asean was first taking shape.

The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Iseas), now as old as the regional grouping at 40, plans to pay more attention to Asean in the future and help shape its integration.

It celebrated its 40th birthday on Monday night with a gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel and plans for an Asean Studies Centre.

To be led by former Asean secretary-general Rodolfo Severino, the new centre will be policy-oriented.

'For example, we will look into what precisely is keeping the Asean economies from integrating,' Mr Severino told The Straits Times.

It plans to collaborate with other think-tanks and the Asean Secretariat.

The move opens up a new area of specialisation for Iseas, a regional research centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends, and developments in South-east Asia.

The institute's coming of age mirrors that of Asean itself, whose 10 members signed a charter and committed the grouping to creating an economic community by 2015 during last November's 40th anniversary summit held here.

At Monday night's gala dinner, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew recalled that he and other ministers in the first Cabinet thought it necessary 'to have thinking people who were inclined to bring their minds to bear on the problems of not only ourselves, but also of the region and how they would interact with us'.

'We understood right from the start that if we wanted to see such an institution, it must have the freedom, the space to grow intellectually,' he added.

Looking ahead to the next 40 years, he said Singapore should aim to bring more people here to do research not just in the region, but the region's interactions with the new emerging powers - China, India and Japan.

Mr Jusuf Wanandi, vice-chairman of Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies Foundation, and one of 700 guests at the event, described Iseas' 40 years as 'quite an achievement'.

He said thousands of scholars have benefited from its seminars and activities.

Mr Philip Malone, the British High Commission's political and communications director-general, said Iseas has helped form opinions on what is happening in the region.

Iseas director K. Kesavapany said the institute also plans to venture into new areas of research, such as climate change and global warming.

A new study group will be set up to analyse the evolving situation in the region against the backdrop of the rise of China and India, he added.

It will be headed by former Danish ambassador and current visiting senior research fellow Jorgen Moller.

Looking ahead, Mr Kesavapany said the institute hopes to be seen as a virtual 'Speakers' Corner' for the discussion of regional issues in a 'robust but constructive manner'.

Mr Severino, now a visiting senior research fellow, said: 'We will describe things as we see them; we will not be under the direction of any government, and we will be independent.'

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