MFA Diplomatic Academy
Annual Report
April 2012 to June 2013
Vision To enhance the professionalism of Singapore diplomats and officials in managing international relations.
Mission To design and conduct professional development programmes to train Singapore diplomats and officials to advance Singapore’s interests overseas.
Contents MESSAGES
2 6 10
Message from the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Academic Panel Message from the Dean A Tribute to Bilahari Kausikan
MFA DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY Organisation Structure and Team Supervisory Board and Academic Panel Senior Fellows
12 14 18
PARTNERS
26
THE S RAJARATNAM LECTURE 2012
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MFA DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY SPECIAL GUESTS PROGRAMME
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PROGRAMMES Introduction Milestone Programmes Short Courses Seminars e-Learning Select Literature Series
REFLECTIONS
34 36 40 44 48 50 51
Message from
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Academic Panel BG (NS) CHEE WEE KIONG Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs)
Diplomats live in a 24/7 reality where the only constants are change and uncertainty. In this age of globalisation and rapid technological advancement, events happening around the world have a far greater reach and faster impact than ever before in history. This is particularly so for a small and open country like Singapore. We are seldom able to accurately predict what lies around the bend, how events will unfold and what impact they will have on us. Since MFA confronts uncertainty on a daily basis, the job of a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) is consequently complex and demanding. FSOs must therefore be adaptive and innovative, and possess the knowledge, skills and resourcefulness to manage whatever situation that comes their way.
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There is no comprehensive handbook that teaches FSOs all the secrets of our tradecraft. Diplomacy is an art that is largely developed through experience. There are few who are better placed to share their experiences than our current and former senior MFA officials and political leaders who have collectively steered several decades of Singapore’s foreign policy history. MFA has accumulated a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience and it is important to find systematic ways to pass it on. In this regard, I welcome the MFA Diplomatic Academy’s efforts to incorporate sharing sessions and dialogues with eminent speakers in their milestone programmes and short courses, and to organise more tradecraft sessions to impart skills to our FSOs, in both political and administrative work. At the same time, the Academy has been capturing and documenting the experiences of FSOs, past and present, in case studies and essays so that their experiences can be passed down to the next generation of FSOs. I would like to congratulate the Academy for the excellent collection of essays by our FSOs on multilateral diplomacy. FSBP 1/2013, Aprilm2013
Message from The Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Academic Panel
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MFA has accumulated a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience and it is important to find systematic ways to pass them on.
As FSOs progress in their careers in the Ministry, they will benefit from the various programmes that the Academy organises. They are also expected to “give back� by participating in sharing sessions with their junior colleagues, facilitating or teaching in the Academy's courses and programmes in areas they have become very good at. This will be a win-win outcome as supervisors stand to benefit from bettertrained officers. I am encouraged by the support shown by senior management for the Academy’s programmes and their belief in the value of investing in the training of our officers. I know that many FSOs have led by example by giving lectures and sharing
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experiences at various sessions in the milestone programmes and in stand-alone modules despite their busy schedules. The global agenda today is too broad for MFA to handle exclusively. In this regard, MFA has been working with other agencies to tackle many difficult and multifaceted global issues. Inter-agency coordination will become even more important and necessary, the norm rather than the exception. FSOs will need to develop a broader perspective on issues and cannot afford to operate with a silo mentality, just as domestic agencies too need to develop an international worldview.
FSOs also need to have a good understanding of Singapore’s domestic challenges and policies. How else can we defend and advance our national interests, interact with our foreign interlocutors and engage overseas Singaporeans? More demands will be placed on MFA to engage the public on Singapore's foreign policy as social media displaces traditional media as a source of news and information. I am therefore pleased to note that the Academy is working to strengthen our officers’ understanding of Singapore’s domestic policies in various milestone programmes. At the same time, the Academy frequently invites participants from other ministries and agencies to its programmes and seminars. We hope that they will benefit from them, I understand MFA’s thinking, and provide us with their organisations’ perspectives. Several foreign ministries have approached MFA to sign Memoranda of Understanding on diplomatic training These
links enable the Academy to exchange information and share best practices with its foreign counterpart and benchmark itself against some of the more established academies. Such interactions will help to enhance the quality of training of our FSOs (undertaken by the Academy.) The Academy has been an independent directorate for more than a year. It has done much good work and I would like to acknowledge the efforts made by the team in the training of our officers. As more experienced FSOs join the Academy, I am confident that the quality of training will continue to improve. I recall my predecessor saying that an FSO’s career would not be considered complete without having served on a Desk, in a Mission and in the Academy. I fully agree with this and encourage all FSOs to consider a stint at the Academy for both their professional and personal development. I wish the Academy all the best in the year ahead.
Message from The Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Academic Panel
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Message from
The Dean
A SELVERAJAH
I would like to express my gratitude to Ambassador-atLarge Bilahari Kausikan who stepped down as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Academy in May 2013. I recall the mandate that he gave me when I first took over as Dean of the Academy on 26 March 2012 - to build up the capacity of the Academy to achieve steady progress and growth. More than a year has passed, and the Academy has grown with his support. Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong, who has taken over as Chairman of the Academy’s Supervisory Board and Academic Panel, has also been supportive of the Academy by augmenting its staff strength and according a high priority to
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the training and development of our officers. An FSO’s first and foremost duty is to advance Singapore’s national interests and the best way to impart the knowledge that an FSO needs to fulfil this duty is through heuristic learning. We are fortunate that many MFA leaders, both former and current, take time off their busy schedules to share their knowledge, personal experiences and MFA values with our officers through the Academy’s programmes. In the past year, the Academy’s list of distinguished speakers included former President S R Nathan, former Senior Minister Prof S Jayakumar and Ambassador-at-Large Prof Chan Heng Chee.
I hope that FSOs will be inspired by these speakers and cultivate the habit of sharing their experiences and values with their younger colleagues. This is a natural and integral manner of passing on our distinct MFA culture and institutional memory to the next generation. On the Academy’s part, we have included sessions for our FSOs to learn from their more experienced colleagues. For instance, third-year FSOs shared their work experiences with new officers in the last run of the FSBP. As public officers, we are held to a high standard of honesty and integrity. We must therefore ensure
that our officers understand and are familiar with the corporate governance framework, code of conduct and regulations. For the past year, the Academy has worked with our Corporate Affairs Directorate (CAD) and the Civil Service College to organise customised procurement courses for officers involved in different stages of the procurement process. A procurement module was also introduced in the Pre-Posting Training Course (PPTC) in March 2013 for officers going on their first overseas posting. The Academy will continue to work closely with CAD and our Internal Audit Unit to strengthen training in this area.
Message from The Dean
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We have to ensure that our FSOs are equipped with the core skills that they need to carry out their work effectively. Apart from the Academy’s milestone programmes, we have also organised stand-alone workshops to reinforce these skills. In the past year, to strengthen our officers’ writing skills, the Academy introduced a new writing workshop for newly-recruited Foreign Service Administrative Specialists (FSAS) in the Administrative Specialist Basic Programme. The Academy also organised a workshop on political reporting for third-year political officers. To sensitise our FSOs to the traits and skills required in handling crisis situations, we introduced case studies on selected significant events in Singapore's diplomatic history. In the coming year, the Academy will work closely with the Ministry's Human Resource Directorate to develop training program to better prepare FSAS and Technical and Administrative support (TAS) officers for their operational roles.
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The Academy established the MFA Diplomatic Academy Special Guests Programme (DASGP) in 2012 to proactively identify and invite experts to deliver lectures on foreign policy and diplomatic tradecraft. Our first Special Guest was Ambassador Amos Nadai, former Israeli Ambassador to China. Apart from the DASGP, the Academy has continued to invite foreign policy experts visiting Singapore to conduct seminars and workshops. Notably, Prof Ibrahim A. Gambari, former Nigerian Foreign Minister and a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, conducted a two-day workshop on conflict resolution at the Academy’s invitation. The Academy also expanded our circulation of articles and books on tradecraft and foreign policy issues. We also compiled a series of essays written by our diplomats on multilateral diplomacy so that their experiences could be better
captured and passed down to the next generation of officers. In the last 15 months, more than 200 Singapore officials from other ministries and agencies attended programmes run by the Academy. We hope that they will better understand the work of MFA and enhance their organisation's IR capability. Many senior officials from other ministries, including a number of permanent secretaries, have supported the Academy’s programmes and briefed our officers on domestic policies and the work of their ministries. Once again, I would like to thank my colleagues in the Academy and MFA, and those from the public service, universities, think-tanks and research institutes for their continued and active support for the Academy’s programmes. The support from each and everyone has made the challenging work at the Academy gratifying.
Message from The Dean
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A Tribute to Bilahari Kausikan Chairman of the Supervisory Board (1 September 2010 to 14 May 2013)
The MFA Diplomatic Academy had been privileged to have Mr Bilahari Kausikan’s guidance and support over the years. He was the first Chairman of the Academic Panel from the establishment of the Academy in February 2007 until July 2012. He provided vision and direction over much of the design and content of the Academy’s programmes and courses. When he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board from August 2010 to May 2013, Mr Bilahari oversaw the transition of the Academy into a separate directorate in the Ministry in 2012. Mr Bilahari had said that every good diplomat he has met possessed three qualities: empathy,
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situational awareness and a keen interest in people and events. They know intuitively what their national interests are and persistently protect, promote and preserve them. To succeed in international relations, they should be flexible in policy making. He once wrote that “foreign policy is a series of improvisations. We may set broad strategic goals, but we will nevertheless have to pursue them by responding to unpredictable events while maintaining direction the best we can”. Most importantly, good FSOs need to be humble and focused on Singapore’s interests and remember that “diplomacy serves the national interest. Foreign policy always serves domestic policy and is subordinate to it”.
These qualities and skills cannot really be taught. Rather, they should be inculcated through experience and imparted via what Mr Bilahari described as “a sort of organisational osmosis”. This has influenced the Academy’s pedagogy to focus on sharing sessions, fireside chats and heuristic learning as means of passing on the Ministry’s distinctive character and collective wisdom to younger FSOs. Indeed, Mr Bilahari's willingness and conviction to pass on esoteric wisdom on diplomatic tradecraft has been laid down in his vision that no FSO who has not seen service on a Desk, in an Overseas Mission and in the Academy can be considered to have had a complete MFA career.
underpin the work of Singapore diplomats. He made the conversion of case histories into case studies a priority for the Academy to help FSOs learn from the past. Today, those case studies are taught in various milestone programmes like the Pre-Posting Training Course (PPTC) and Foreign Service Supervisory Programme (FSSP). Mr Bilahari firmly believed that FSOs must continuously update themselves on current affairs and encouraged the Academy to proactively invite experts to Singapore to share their knowledge and tradecraft with FSOs. To implement this vision, the Academy launched the Special Guests Programme and welcomed its first distinguished expert in December 2012.
Mr Bilahari himself conducted many briefings on foreign policy and fireside chats for FSOs and other government officials, imparting both knowledge and values that
The Academy would like to convey its deep appreciation to Mr Bilahari for his unreserved support for the work of the Academy. MFA staff have benefited greatly throughout
their careers from his wisdom and knowledge. Mr Bilahari's long and deep association with MFA, and the Academy, will continue with his appointment as a Senior Fellow of the Academy. We are privileged to draw on his intellect and experience, and hope to live up to his aspiration that the Academy should “never rest content but always continue to benchmark itself against the best in the world.”
Tribute to Bilahari Kausikan
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MFA Diplomatic Academy Organisation Structure Supervisory Board Academic Panel Senior Fellows Dean’s Office Course Development Branch Training Programmes Branch Admin Support Unit
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The MFA Diplomatic Academy was established on 1 February 2007 as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. We aim to enhance the professionalism of Singapore diplomats and officials and to help them operate effectively in the world of diplomacy. The Academy leverages on our senior diplomats and civil servants to impart their experiences, knowledge and values to younger officers. The Academy is committed to building up the international relations capabilities of Singapore’s public sector officials. In today’s globalised world, the line between foreign and domestic issues has become increasingly blurred. Singapore Government ministries and agencies should be familiar with the tools of multilateral engagement and diplomacy to rise up to the challenges of the increasing international dimension of domestic issues. The Academy recognises the need for a whole-of-government approach to advance Singapore’s interests in the international arena. As the Academy enters its seventh year, we have added a Curriculum Development arm in addition to the Training Programmes branch, to conduct in-depth research and look into further refining our current range of programmes.
THE MFA DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY TEAM
Seated from left: Rachel Kee (Assistant Training Programmes Officer), Tee Bee Lock (Vice Dean, Training Programmes), Ng Soh Eng (Vice Dean, Training Policy), A Selverajah (Dean), Foo Teow Lee (Vice Dean, Academic), Michelle Koh (Assistant Training Programmes Officer)
Seated from left: Dewi Sharyaty Samsudin (Administrative Assistant), Michelle Goh (Deputy Director, Training Programmes), Muhammad Sha’ari Abdul Ngalim (Assistant Training Programmes Officer), Nelson Ng (Deputy Director, Course Development), Koh Chee Chian (Deputy Director, Training Programmes), Seng Soon Eng (Personal Assistant to the Dean), Cheng Shi Min (Assistant Director, Training Programmes)
Organisation Structure and Team
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Supervisory Board and Academic Panel (as at 30 June 2013)
The MFA Diplomatic Academy’s Supervisory Board and Academic Panel are chaired by Permanent Secretary BG (NS) Chee Wee Kiong. The Board reviews and assesses the Academy’s curriculum, strategy and programmes. The Panel supports the Board by reviewing and approving the academic calendar, course curriculum and the appointment of lecturers and trainers for the Academy’s training programmes.
Chairman: Chee Wee Kiong, Permanent Secretary
Members of the Supervisory Board and Academic Panel:
Other members of the Academic Panel:
K V Vanu Gopala Menon, Deputy Secretary (Southeast Asia & International Organisations)
Lam Chuan Leong, Ambassador-at-Large Chew Tai Soo, Ambassador-at-Large
Tan Eng Beng, Deputy Secretary (Management) Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large Simon Wong, Deputy Secretary (International) Mary Seet-Cheng, Specialist Senior Adviser Ho Cheok Sun, Senior Management Adviser
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A Selverajah, Dean
Ng Soh Eng, Vice Dean (Training Policy) and Director (Human Resource)
See Chak Mun, Senior Adviser
Foo Chi Hsia, Director-General (Americas)
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Chee Wee Kiong Permanent Secretary
Lam Chuan Leong Ambassador-at-Large
Chew Tai Soo Ambassador-at-Large
Chan Heng Chee Ambassador-at-Large
Supervisory Board and Academic Panel
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K V Vanu Gopala Menon Deputy Secretary (Southeast Asia & International Organisations)
Tan Eng Beng Deputy Secretary (Management)
Simon Wong Deputy Secretary (International)
Ho Cheok Sun Senior Management Adviser
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A Selverajah
See Chak Mun
Dean
Senior Adviser
Mary Seet-Cheng Senior Specialist Adviser
Ng Soh Eng
Foo Chi Hsia
Vice Dean (Training Policy) and Director (Human Resource)
Director-General (Americas)
Supervisory Board and Academic Panel
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Senior Fellows (as at 30 June 2013)
The MFA Diplomatic Academy is supported by a group of 25 Senior Fellows comprising former Ambassadors, senior civil servants, notable scholars and other distinguished professionals. Our Senior Fellows contribute actively by sharing their experiences and expertise with participants during the Academy's milestone programmes and courses, and participate as moderators at various seminars.
Professor Chan Heng Chee Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Chairman, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights, Singapore Singapore’s Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Member, Board of Trustees, National University of Singapore (NUS) Member, Board of Governors, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Member, Board of Lowy Institute for International Policy Trustee of the Asia Society
Former Ambassador to the United States Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, with concurrent accreditation to Canada and Mexico
Chan Heng Wing Non-Resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh Senior Adviser, MFA
Former Managing Director, International Relations, Temasek International Pte Ltd Former Chief Representative, Temasek Holdings in China Former Ambassador to Thailand Former Consul-General in Hong Kong and Macau, and in Shanghai Former Press Secretary to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
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Michael Cheok Po Chuan Non-Resident Ambassador to Morocco and Tunisia Vice Chairman, International Relations Committee, Singapore Business Federation
Former Ambassador to Germany with concurrent accreditation to Greece and the Czech Republic Former High Commissioner to India with concurrent accreditation to Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Chew Tai Soo Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Senior Adviser, MFA
Former Chief Negotiator on Climate Change Former Ambassador to Japan; and France with concurrent accreditation to Spain and Portugal Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva; and New York with concurrent accreditation to Canada and Mexico Former Deputy Secretary, MFA
Barry Desker Dean, RSIS, NTU Director, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, NTU Bakrie Professor of Southeast Asia Policy, NTU Chairman, Singapore Technologies Marine Non-Resident Ambassador to the Holy See and Spain
Former Ambassador to Indonesia Former Chief Executive Officer, Trade Development Board
Senior Fellows
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Peter Ho Senior Adviser, Centre for Strategic Futures Chairman, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore
Former Head of Civil Service Former Permanent Secretary, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Prime Minister's Office
Bilahari Kausikan Ambassador-at-Large, MFA
Former Permanent Secretary, MFA Former Ambassador to Moscow Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, with concurrent accreditation to Canada and Mexico
K Kesavapany Non-Resident Ambassador to Jordan
Former High Commissioner to Malaysia Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Former Director, Institute of Southeast Asia Studies (ISEAS)
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Professor Tommy Koh Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Chairman, Centre for International Law, NUS Rector, Tembusu College, University Town, NUS Co-Chair, China-Singapore Forum, Japan-Singapore Symposium and the India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue Governor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), NUS
Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Former Ambassador to the United States, with concurrent accreditation to Mexico and Canada
Lam Chuan Leong Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Chairman, Competition Commission of Singapore Senior Fellow, Centre for Governance and Leadership, Civil Service College Adjunct Professor, LKYSPP, NUS
Former Permanent Secretary, Ministries of Communications and Information, Trade and Industry, National Development, Environment, and Finance
Lee Chiong Giam Senior Adviser, MFA Non-resident Ambassador to Timor-Leste Non-resident High Commissioner to Pakistan
Margaret Liang Consultant, World Trade Organization and Trade Issues, MFA Adjunct Professor, NUS Faculty of Law Adjunct Senior Fellow, RSIS, NTU
Former Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva
Senior Fellows
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Professor Lui Pao Chuen Senior Adviser, MFA Adviser, Ministries of National Development, Transport, Environment and Water Resources and National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office Adviser, President NUS and President NTU Professor, Faculty of Engineering, NUS and College of Engineering, NTU Chairman, Development Projects Advisory Committee, Ministry of Finance Chairman, SembCorp Design and Construction Pte Ltd Chairman, ST Dynamics Pte Ltd Vice President, Singapore Scouts Council Member, Board of Trustees and Chair, Academic & Research Board Committee, SUTD
Professor Kishore Mahbubani Dean and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy, LKYSPP, NUS
Former Permanent Secretary, MFA Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York
Verghese Mathews Non-Resident High Commissioner to Fiji Non-Resident Ambassador to the Pacific Islands Forum Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Member, Advisory Board, International Business Chamber of Cambodia Member of the Malawi President’s Advisory Committee on Economics
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Joergen Oerstroem Moeller Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISEAS Chairman, Advisory Board, Asia Research Centre, Copenhagen Business School Adjunct Professor, Copenhagen Business School Adjunct Professor, Singapore Management University
Former Danish Ambassador to Singapore Former State-Secretary, Royal Danish Foreign Ministry
Gopinath Pillai Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Chairman, Institute of South Asian Studies, NUS
Former Non-Resident High Commissioner to Pakistan and Ambassador to Iran
J Y Pillay Chairman, Council of Presidential Advisers, Singapore Chairman, Securities Industry Council Chairman, Tiger Airways Holdings Limited Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights, Singapore Adjunct Professor, LKYSPP, NUS Pro-Chancellor, SMU Rector, College of Alice and Peter Tan, NUS
Former Chairman, Singapore Exchange Limited Former Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore Former Managing Director, Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Former Permanent Secretary, Ministries of National Development, Finance and Development
Senior Fellows
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Justice (Retired) M P H Rubin Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Non-Resident Ambassador to Hungary
Former High Commissioner to South Africa and New Zealand
See Chak Mun Senior Advisor, MFA
Former High Commissioner to India and Australia Former Ambassador to Germany Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Former Commissioner to Hong Kong
Mary Seet-Cheng Senior Specialist Adviser, MFA Non-Resident Ambassador to Panama and Cuba
Former Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union
Kemal Siddique Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community, MFA Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs, Asia-Middle East Dialogue for Economic/Business Issues and Ukraine, MFA Executive Director, Tony K Siddique & Associates Pte Ltd
Former Ambassador to Germany and the Soviet Union Former Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Former Non-Resident Ambassador to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland
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Tan Chin Tiong Ambassador-at-Large, MFA Director, ISEAS
Former Permanent Secretary, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Information and the Arts, Finance, and Home Affairs Former Ambassador to Japan
Professor Wang Gungwu Chairman, East Asian Institute, NUS Chairman, ISEAS Chairman, LKYSPP, NUS University Professor, NUS Emeritus Professor, Australian National University Member of Governing Council, Nalanda International University Member, Board of Governors, RSIS, NTU Distinguished Fellow, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong Chairman, International Advisory Board, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia Member, Board of Trustees, Jinan University, Guangzhou Honorary Adviser, Board of Governors, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur
Geoffrey Yu Senior Adviser and Chairman, Chinese Studies Programme, LKYSPP, NUS Adjunct Senior Fellow, RSIS, NTU Member, World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Intellectual Property System, Geneva Visiting Professor, Intellectual Property Law Centre, Peoples University, Beijing Member, Advisory Panel, Intellectual Property Academy of Singapore
Senior Fellows
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Partners
The MFA Diplomatic Academy values its collaborations with Government Ministries and Agencies, as well as local think tanks and tertiary institutions. These partnerships promote an exchange of ideas and the sharing of resources for conducting training programmes and courses for MFA officers and public sector officers.
Public Sector Agencies
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Local Think Tanks and Research Institutes
Tertiary Institutions
Understanding China, March 2013
We are committed to the whole-ofgovernment approach for building up the international relations capabilities of the Singapore Public Service. We currently offer training places in our milestone programmes, short courses and seminars to officers from other Ministries and Government Agencies. We are expanding our programmes and tapping on the resources of other more established training agencies to reach out to more public sector officers. The Academy collaborated with the
Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Trade Academy to conduct a course on the international trading system in October 2012. We have also worked with local think tanks like the East Asian Institute, Institute of South Asian Studies and Middle East Institute to conduct courses on China, India and the Middle East respectively.
identify new training areas. Dean A Selverajah visited Israel in February 2013 and Vietnam in June.
The Academy continues to actively seek and engage international and regional partners to share training best practices between Singapore and other foreign diplomatic institutions to exchange views and
The Academy hopes to share experiences in the training and development of diplomats, and encourage more interaction and closer links between our diplomatic services.
MFA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on diplomatic training with its Indonesian in April counterpart 2013 to strengthen cooperation between our diplomatic academies.
Partners
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The S Rajaratnam Lecture 2012
The S Rajaratnam Lecture is named in honour of Singapore’s first and longestserving Foreign Minister, the late Mr S Rajaratnam. Launched in 2008, the MFA Diplomatic Academy invites distinguished speakers from Singapore and abroad to speak on topics relating to diplomacy and international relations. The early Lectures focussed on the fundamentals of Singapore’s foreign policy. Of late, the Lectures have taken a more topical bent to allow FSOs and other public officers engaged in international relations to understand and respond to an increasingly complex and fast-evolving external environment. The Lecture has become an annual gathering of Singapore’s diplomatic community, senior civil servants, representatives from Singapore’s tertiary institutions and think tanks, junior college students, the media and some members of the public. The Academy was honoured to have Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security Mr Teo Chee Hean speak at the fifth S Rajaratnam Lecture on 30 November 2012. His lecture was titled “New Challenges and Strategies for a More Secure World”. Mr Teo said that diplomacy and defence were twin priorities that had been thrust upon a newly-independent Singapore in 1965. These priorities were shaped by the urgent needs of recognition and survival of a young sovereign state in a region where conflict was rife and cooperation was not the norm. Singapore quickly learnt the sobering lesson that it had to take responsibility for its own defence very seriously.
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The S Rajaratnam Lecture 2012
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Mr Teo noted that Singapore started by joining the United Nations and building relations with neighbouring countries to strengthen ASEAN. Cooperation in the region improved, gradually at first, then more rapidly and steadily. On the defence front, the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) initial interactions with neighbouring countries’ militaries developed into cooperation and mutual assistance, particularly in the area of rescue and humanitarian missions. The deepening interactions between the armed forces proved valuable when bilateral relations hit a low point. Military leaders on both sides
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were able to provide appropriate advice to their political leaders and calibrate actions and responses so that relations would remain on an even keel. Mr Teo added that Singapore recognised that ASEAN members could collectively project a larger influence on the global stage, compared to what individual countries could do on their own. It was important to keep ASEAN at the core of an open and inclusive regional architecture and engage countries beyond ASEAN which had an interest in this part of the world. To this end, Singapore
MFA Diplomatic Academy
engaged its military counterparts through various ASEAN processes such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum. At the same time, Singapore built strong bilateral defence relations with partners within and beyond the region. Through multilateral exercises with the armed forces of many countries, the SAF was able to build confidence, understanding and inter-operability. This put everyone in good stead when they needed to work together. Since 2002, Singapore has hosted the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) which brings together participants from
more than 25 countries to discuss current and emerging regional security concerns. The SLD provides an opportunity for informal interactions among Defence Ministers, heads of defence ministries, military chiefs, policy makers and strategic thinkers. Mr Teo spoke of the new challenges brought about by an increasingly interconnected world that went beyond traditional diplomacy and military capabilities. Lying at the interstices between states, these challenges namely, peacekeeping, combating terrorism and cybersecurity, humanitarian and disaster relief as well as maritime security, required new and collective approaches. He cited the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar as cases that showed that no one country would
have been able to deal with natural disasters of that scale. To deal with the changing world order, diplomacy and military capabilities would still be relevant but would also have to be applied in nontraditional ways. Mr Teo concluded by reiterating three principles which had served Singapore well. First, Singapore sought to make friends with all who would be friends with us, within and beyond the region. Second, Singapore supported a multilateral system that was fair and equitable to countries, big or small. This was the only assurance that small countries like Singapore would have their interests taken into account. Singapore initiated the Forum of Small States and the Global Governance Group to bring together like-minded countries
to work together to magnify their collective voices. Third, Singapore must maintain the ability to protect our sovereignty and defend what was critical for our survival. To this end, the primary role of the SAF remained to defend Singapore and to be the final guarantor of our sovereignty. During the dialogue session that followed, moderated by Ambassador-at-Large Prof Chan Heng Chee, guests engaged Mr Teo in a lively discussion on a wide range of topics, including Singapore’s peacekeeping and humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, protecting Singapore’s internet architecture from cyberattacks, and Singapore’s ability to deal with new challenges and diversity quickly and effectively.
In the new global order, and given the new inter-related challenges that the world faces, there is an imperative, and the opportunity to build a cooperative and collaborative world.
DPM Teo Chee Hean S Rajaratnam Lecture 2012
The S Rajaratnam Lecture 2012
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MFA Diplomatic Academy Special Guests Programme The MFA Diplomatic Academy Special Guests Programme (DASGP) was established in 2012. As one of the Academy's flagship programmes, it seeks to bring renowned experts to Singapore to speak to our FSOs on pertinent foreign policy issues and serves to complement the Academy’s seminar series. Former Israeli Ambassador to China, Amos Nadai, was the inaugural Special Guest of the MFA Diplomatic Academy and delivered a seminar on Israel’s engagement with Asia in December 2012.
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Ambassador Amos Nadai, sharing his views on the development of Israel’s diplomatic and economic ties with Asia
The MFA Diplomatic Academy Special Guests Programme
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Programmes
The MFA Diplomatic Academy aims to provide our officers with the opportunity, training and exposure to achieve their maximum potential, and help them fulfil their personal and career goals in MFA. Over the years, we have developed a structured training programme to equip our FSOs with the domain knowledge and soft skills needed at various stages of their careers in MFA. At the core of our training programme for FSOs are the milestone programmes, namely the Foreign Service Basic Programme (FSBP), the Pre-Posting Training Course, the Foreign Service Supervisory Programme (FSSP) and the Foreign Service Advanced Programme (FSAP). Interactive teaching methods such as panel discussions, sharing sessions and fireside chats involving Singapore leaders and senior MFA officers, as well as lectures by academics and other relevant domain experts, contribute to the learning process. We also have short courses, seminars, eLearning modules and case histories to implement our milestone programmes.
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Effective Writing Course, March 2013
Leadership development is a key component of our training roadmap and has been integrated into our milestone programmes and short courses. As part of our efforts to document and pass on lessons and experiences accumulated by our first generation diplomats, the Academy has been documenting a
series of case histories on various significant episodes in Singapore’s history. The Academy will continue to systematically incorporate case studies into our milestone programmes to enable our officers to learn from atual events. As the Academy moves into our seventh year, the current emphasis is to develop training
programmes for our Foreign Service Administration Specialist (FSAS) officers and Technical and Administrative Support (TAS) officers. Currently, the Academy conducts the Admin Specialist Basic Programme (ASBP) for FSAS officers and short courses on Information Technology for TAS officers.
Programmes
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Milestone Programmes Foreign Service Basic Programme (FSBP) The FSBP is a five-week programme for newly-recruited FSOs to equip them with the knowledge and skills for their first three years in the Ministry. Participants learn about Singapore’s foreign policy fundamentals and national interests, understand the functions and operations of the Directorates in MFA, and develop soft skills and diplomatic tradecraft through interactive sharing sessions and simulation exercises. A highlight of the FSBP is a field trip to one of our Overseas Missions to provide participants with a glimpse of the demands and rigours required of our diplomats to operate effectively overseas. The 2/2012 and 1/2013 FSBP cohorts were hosted by Vientiane and Phnom Penh Missions respectively.
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Foreign Service Supervisory Programme (FSSP) The annual FSSP is a one-week programme developed for mid-level FSOs to equip them with the skills to lead and empower their officers, and manage professional relationships. The programme also focuses on providing participants with an understanding of financial administration. The tools and skill sets acquired during the programme will help them fulfil their dual roles as supervisors and subordinates more effectively.
Foreign Service Advanced Programme (FSAP) The biennial FSAP is a three-week programme for Deputy Directors and Deputy Director-General, it comprises the Strategic Foreign Policy Modules (FPM), Public Policy Modules (PPM), Management and Operations Modules (MOM) and Leadership Modules (LM). As part of the FPM, panel discussions involving Heads of Missions are convened to deepen participants’ understanding of Singapore’s foreign policy considerations and sensitise them to key developments in the region and the world. A key feature of the PPM is dialogues with senior public service leaders, such as Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sam Tan, on Singapore’s domestic policies and priorities to sharpen participants’ awareness of the key domestic interests. A policy gaming exercise was introduced in FSAP 2012.
Milestone Programmes
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Admin Specialist Basic Programme (ASBP) The ASBP is a three-week foundation programme for Foreign Service Administrative Specialists (FSAS). The programme comprises briefings on internal finance administration and human resource, and practical sessions such as protocol and business etiquette workshops. A session on official etiquette and dialogues with MFA Management including then-2nd Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong, Deputy Secretary (Management) Tan Eng Beng and Senior Management Advisor Ho Cheok Sun were introduced into the programme (in the past year). The participants were also hosted to a field trip by Johor Bahru Mission.
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Pre-Posting Training Course (PPTC) The PPTC was introduced in 2011 to enhance the operational readiness of FSOs and FSAS in their third year of service, prior to their first posting. The PPTC complements the Pre-posting Briefings and Consultations and the Overseas Posting Preparation programme conducted by the Human Resource Directorate. It covers modules such as crisis management and administrative duties at post including procurement, managing Locally Recruited Staff and financial processes. The PPTC also include a Singapore Module component which was expanded in the 2013 run to increase the coverage of key domestic preoccupations and policies which would be of interest to foreign interlocutors and overseas Singaporeans. To enhance the analytical skills of these officers, two case studies were also introduced.
Milestone Programmes
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Short Courses The MFA Diplomatic Academy has developed a range of short courses to enable participants to acquire knowledge and skills over and above the milestone programmes. These courses are also aimed at maximising the potential of officers by enhancing their capabilities. The short courses come under three categories: 1. Knowledge Enrichment To broaden officers’ knowledge of foreign policy issues and build up political sensitivity 2. Skills Development To develop officers’ technical and skills competencies, as well as hone tradecraft 3. Leadership Development To develop officers’ self awareness, management and strategic thinking, as well as sharpen leadership skills
Workshop on Conflict Resolution, May 2013
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Short Courses
Knowledge Enrichment
• • • • • • •
Southeast Asia Course Understanding China Course Understanding India Course Introductory Course on the Middle East Course on Climate Change Course on International Law Course on International Trading System
Skills Development
• • • • • • • • •
Effective Writing Course Fundamentals of InfoComm Technology InfoComm Technology for TAS MFA CARE Course Procurement for HQ Officers Procurement for Approving Officers Workshop on Finance Operations Workshop on Note-Taking Skills Workshop on Political Report Writing
Leadership Development
• Personal Mastery Course • Mentoring and Coaching Course
Short Courses
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Calendar of Short Courses (April 2012 to June 2013)
2012 April
InfoComm Technology for TAS Course Course on Understanding India
May
Personal Mastery Course
July
Workshop on Finance Operations in HQ
October
Course on International Trading System
November
Effective Writing Course
December
Fundamentals of InfoComm Technology Course
2013
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January
Workshop on Note-Taking Skills MFA CARE Course Procurement for Approving Officers
February
Procurement for HQ Procurement Officers InfoComm Technology for TAS Course
March
Understanding China Course Effective Writing Course
April
Introductory Course on the Middle East
May
Workshop on Conflict Resolution
June
Workshop on Political Report Writing
MFA Diplomatic Academy
As part of our efforts to align our curriculum with the evolving needs of MFA, the Academy continues to work with our training partners to develop relevant short courses for our officers. New courses introduced over the past year include: 1. Procurement Courses The Academy worked with the Civil Service College to introduce a series of courses on procurement for officers involved in the different stages of the procurement process. These courses provide our officers a better understanding of the government procurement framework and its application in MFA, and reinforce the importance of accountability of public officers in the use of public funds. 2. Workshop on Note-Taking Skills Note-taking is an essential skill for all FSOs. Officers are introduced to the basics of note-taking during the FSBP and trained on-the-job when they take notes at calls, meetings and at various forums. This year, the Academy introduced the Workshop on Note-Taking Skills for FSOs to revisit the procedure, protocol and conduct of note-taking and reflect on how they can improve their skills. 3. Workshop on Conflict Resolution The Academy was privileged to have former Nigerian Foreign Minister and a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Prof Ibrahim A. Gambari and his team from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, and the United Nations to conduct a Workshop on Conflict Resolution for our FSOs. Participants were introduced to the conceptual and historical frameworks in conflict resolution, mediation, peace processes and agreements, as well as international and regional mechanisms for conflict resolution. Through case studies on Darfur, Cyprus and Myanmar, participants also discussed the various approaches to conflict management, drew lessons from the failure and success of peacemaking efforts and assessed the various mechanisms of conflict resolution.
Short Courses
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Seminars Seminars form an integral part of the Academy training framework. The topics covered broaden our officers' knowledge of emerging foreign policy issues, global trends and developments. These seminars also provide our officers with the opportunities to engage with foreign diplomats, scholars and domain experts from the private sector on key foreign policy issues, thereby creating a diversified learning process for our officers.
2012 May The Arab Spring: One Year After
HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations
June Dealing with the ‘New’ Indonesia
Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri Former Ambassador of Singapore to Indonesia
July What President Putin’s New Term Means for Russia
Professor Padma Desai Director, Centre for Transition Economies Columbia University
China in My Time, China Today
Ambassador Chin Siat Yoon Former Ambassador of Singapore to China
September
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The United States
Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee Former Ambassador of Singapore to the United States
What the World Doesn't Know about Singapore but Should
Dr Parag Khanna Director, Hybrid Reality Institute
MFA Diplomatic Academy
October Roundtable on Pakistan's Multiple Challenges
Ambassador Sajjad Ashraf Former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Singapore
November The Future of China-US Relations and its Impact on the Asia-Pacific Region
Dr Yang Jiemian President, Shanghai Institutes of International Studies
A Journey into the Unknown: Impressions of North Korea
Northeast Asia Directorate MFA, Singapore
December Foreign Policy Challenges Facing the United States of America
General Brent Scowcroft President, The Scowcroft Group
Israel’s Engagement with Asia
Ambassador Amos Nadai Former Ambassador of Israel to China
Seminars
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2013 January No Comments and Don’t Quote Me! – 10 Media Tips
Mr Quak Hiang Whai Senior Adviser, MFA
February The South China Sea Disputes: A Role for International Law?
Professor Robert Beckman Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore
March Making Sense of the European Union
Ambassador Anil Kumar Nayar Former Ambassador of Singapore to Belgium with concurrent accreditation to the European Communities, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
April Russia’s Asia-Pacific Policy
Dr Dmitri Trenin Director, Carnegie Moscow Center
Panel Discussion on Developments in Iran
HE Nematollah Izadi Former Director General of Asia and Oceania Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iran Dr Ahmed Salah Hashim Associate Professor, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Negotiating the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: Some Insights
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Mr Richard Magnus Former Representative of Singapore to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
May Multilateral Approach to Global Challenges: The Role of Permanent Representatives and UN Officials
Professor Ibrahim A. Gambari Distinguished Visiting Fellow, RSIS, NTU
June Malaysia after the 13th General Election
High Commisioner Ong Keng Yong High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia
East Asia and the United States The Consequences of our Assumptions
Mr W Keith Luse Former Staff Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, United States
Seminar on "Malaysia after 13th General Election" by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, June 2012
Seminars
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eLearning The MFA Diplomatic Academy's eLearning portal is available to all MFA officers at Headquarters and our Overseas Missions. Officers can conveniently access the Academy's eLearning modules at a place, time and pace that best suits their needs and schedules. The Academy's eLearning modules cover functional and operational knowledge, and subject knowledge. The modules feature colourful graphics, engaging exercises and activities, and animated characters and voices, to create a more interactive learning experience. In order to equip our officers with the relevant knowledge, the Academy will continue to utilise eLearning to make learning an stimulating and engaging experience.
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eLearning Modules
Functional and Operational Knowledge
• Information Security • Management of Locally Recruited Staff • Consular Service • Emergency Preparedness • General Administration • Security at Overseas Missions • Properties Management
Subject Knowledge
• • •
Understanding China Course Introductory Course on the Middle East Understanding India Course
eLearning
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Select Literature Series The Academy regularly recommends books and articles on international relations, diplomatic tradecraft, leadership, and other subjects of interest to FSOs. We also highlight subjects that have historical relevance and provide a broader context for understanding Singapore’s key foreign policy interests and contemporary foreign policy issues. We encourage FSOs to read widely beyond the immediate areas of their current portfolios. This will broaden their worldview and help them examine and analyse issues from various perspectives.
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Reflections
The full suite of courses and workshops organised by the Diplomatic Academy provide comprehensive and holistic training for my career in MFA, in particular for my future overseas posting. I particularly enjoyed the courses that impart content knowledge on emerging global issues and developments, such as the “Understanding China” seminar. These courses provide the basic framework for me to engage my foreign counterparts. It is also useful to hear from the perspectives of external speakers, in particular the private sector and the academia, who are important stakeholders in our line of work. I also find that the “soft skills” courses, such as the CARE Course, provide the necessary foundation for day-to-day operational effectiveness.
Justin Hong Desk Officer, Climate Change Office
Justin Hong (second from right) with his fellow coursemates
Reflections
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The Diplomatic Academy is an important institution within the Foreign Ministry, providing us with the necessary tools to train our officers. The Academy's systematic approach towards training, through its conduct of courses like FSBP, FSSP and FSAP as well as insightful seminars, has contributed to the building up of a solid core of officers, who have been given a strong foundation to cope with the rigours of the job. I have personally benefited from these courses and seminars. I am confident with the passing of time, the Academy will continue on its upward trajectory to play an even more significant role in the future.
Adrian Tan Deputy Director-General, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia
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