Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan Kicks Off Foreign-Policy Lecture Series

We were honoured to welcome Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, Distinguished Fellow at the Middle East Institute, NUS, and former Permanent Secretary & Ambassador-at-Large at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the opening session of our foreign-policy lecture series.

His session, “Issues and Problems in Singapore’s Foreign Policy: Relevance,” was a masterclass in critical thinking about how Singapore navigates the world. Drawing on decades of experience, Ambassador Kausikan bridged theory and practice, highlighting how there has always been room for debate in foreign policy.

Assoc Prof Dylan Loh moderated the session, guiding the discussion with thoughtful questions and adding depth to the conversation. He also presented the speaker with a copy of his latest publication, China’s Rising Foreign Ministry, published by Stanford University Press in 2024.

Students, faculty, and alumni engaged actively, contributing to a lively exchange of ideas. This session on Relevance is the first of three in the series, followed by Identity and Challenges, scheduled for October and November 2025.

Click here to view the recording of this session.