The Strategic Studies Program (SSP) aims to promote interest, discourse, and significant changes in the Philippines foreign policy and capacity building for strategic studies. The UP CIDS SSP traces its antecedents from the UP CIDS China/Strategic Studies Program of 2015–2016.

In 2015, the team members laid the groundwork for initiatives directed at capability building in strategic studies in the University. The program views the Philippines’ latest engagements with the great powers and other states in the Asia Pacific region as a catalyst to further collaborative and multi-disciplinary research between the intellectual communities within East Asia.

Strategic studies is an interdisciplinary academic field centered on the study of conflict and peace strategies, often devoting special attention to the relationship between international politics, geo-strategy, international diplomacy, international economics, and military power. For developed countries and large powers, strategic studies is often seen as centered on the use of military power for defense and security purposes. For developing countries such as the Philippines, which cannot draw much leverage from military resources and therefore need to rely more on diplomacy and political stratagem, strategic studies may focus on Philippine foreign and security policy, the management of international conflict, and how the country can develop the means to match its long-term goals.

From 2017 onwards, SSP will seek to undertake activities that will contribute to the attainment of two long-term objectives: (1) the institutionalization of training and education on strategic studies, ranging from short courses (certificate program) to a Master’s Degree; and (2) the establishment of a think tank/research institute.