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Practice and Thought Leaders



Prof. Kishore Mahbubani
Dean
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore


Kishore Mahbubani is currently the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Before this, he served in the Singapore Foreign Ministry from 1971 to 2004, where he was Permanent Secretary from 1993 to 1998. He also served twice as Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN. Prof Mahbubani has spoken in all corners of the globe and is the author of “Can Asians Think?”, “Beyond the Age of Innocence”, and “The New Asian Hemisphere”.

He graduated in philosophy from Singapore and Canada and served as a Fellow of the Center for International Affairs in Harvard University from 1991 to 1992. The Foreign Policy Association Medal was awarded to him in 2004. He was also listed as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines in 2005 and was also included in 2009 Financial Times list of Top 50 individuals who would shape the debate on the future of capitalism.

Most recently, Prof Mahbubani was selected as one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers of 2010 who have “shaped the global conversation over the last 12 months and will continue to do so in coming years.”


Singapore is located 1 degree or 136.8km north of the equator. It has a total land area of 699 square kilometers and a population of about four million. Situated at the crossroads of East and West, Singapore is one of the busiest sea and airports in the world. Its strategic position has also made it a hub for trade, communications and tourism activities.

Singapore is known for its hot and humid weather, with little variation throughout the year. The average daytime temperature is 31ºC (88ºF), dropping to around 24ºC (75ºF) in the evenings. The monsoon season can bear down pretty heavily on our tropical weather from November onwards, so be prepared for rain on a daily basis during this period.

Singapore voltage is 220 – 240 volts AC, 50 cycles per second.

The currency used in Singapore is the Singapore dollar (S$). Money changing services can be found not only at the Singapore Changi Airport but also most shopping centres and hotels around the island. You can also access the automated teller machines (ATMs) located everywhere (even in the most obscure bits) in Singapore, that accept most of the main credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Visa may be required for certain nationalities. Please visit www.ica.gov.sg to verify if you need to apply for a visa before entering into Singapore. The visa application form is available free of charge at all Singapore overseas mission. Should you require a invitation letter to support your visa letter, kindly write in to the Secretariat for your request. Please also note that visitors to Singapore must meet the following entry requirements:-