S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was established on 1 January 2007. The school came about as an expansion of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), which was established in 1996. The school is named after the one of modern Singapore's pioneering leaders, the late Mr. S. Rajaratnam, who held various Cabinet appointments until his retirement. When RSIS was created on 1 January 2007 IDSS remained a security-research focused institute within the School and teaching functions were taken over by the School.