THINK-TANK S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, launched a new centre for the study of security issues on Tuesday.

The new Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies will work on issues such as pandemics, climate change, energy security and nuclear energy.

Such issues are increasingly attracting the attention of academics, governments and non-governmental organisations because of the increasing awareness that non-military issues can also cause conflict among nations as well as threaten lives.

The new centre was launched by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Yaacob Ibrahim at Traders Hotel on Tuesday morning. Asean's Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan delivered the keynote address.