PROGRAMME
12th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources (SWR):
Sustaining Sustainability: Reinventing Commodity Industries
Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
08:30-09:00
Registration
09:00-09:10
Welcome Remarks
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Assoc. Prof. Simon TayChairman
Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policy-makers. He is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainablity issues that matter to policy makers and corporations in ASEAN and Asia. Consistently ranked by an international survey within the top 50 of the world and amongst the best in ASEAN, the SIIA is also rated the No 1 independent think tank across all of Asia. The SIIA works actively in “track 2” diplomacy with policy makers, not only in Singapore but across ASEAN, including previously advising the Indonesian and Myanmar governments on foreign investment. SIIA members and benefactors include many of leading Singaporean companies and multinationals. Presently, Prof Tay serves as an Ambassador for Singapore, accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is a board member of the Maritime Port Authority and also chairs the trade and sustainability dialogues for free trade agreements that Singapore has with the European Union and UK. He has previously served Singapore in a number of public appointments. These include Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08); Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019); independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); and to coordinate the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). He co-chaired a number of national public commissions such as Singapore 21, the Singapore Green Plan and the Singapore Concept Plan 2010. In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Additionally, Tay is a tenured Associate Professor, teaching since 1995 at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law with a focus on international law. He has also taught as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. In addition to academic works, his book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. His comments and interviews often feature in the international and regional media. Another aspect of Prof Tay’s work is to advise major corporations. Currently, he is Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of over 300 lawyers and offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. Previously, he served on global advisory boards for MUFG Bank of Japan, and Toyota Japan, and was Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). For more than a decade, he served as independent board director for companies including the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein and Deutsche Boerse (Asia). He is often asked to brief major corporate boards and financial institutions and has spoken at leading business conferences including the World Economic Forum, APEC and ASEAN CEO Summits. Additionally, Tay is a prize winning author of fiction and poetry. His 2010 novel City of Small Blessings was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize and in 2019 he received the SE Asia Write award in recognition of contributions to the region’s writing. He graduated in law from the National University of Singapore (1986), where he was president of the student union for three terms. He also holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (1993-94), which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship and where he won the Laylin prize for the best thesis in international law. He was born in 1961 and is the only son of the late Tay Seow Huah, a pioneer generation civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and the late Madam Cheong Keong Hin, a teacher. Prof Tay is married and has one son. |
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09:10-09:25
Sustaining Sustainability Amidst Global Uncertainty
Keynote Speaker:
Ms. Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Singapore
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Ms. Grace FuMinister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations
Ms Grace Fu is Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Singapore. She graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours), and subsequently obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. She spent the early part of her career in the private sector and last held the position of Chief Executive Officer, PSA Southeast Asia and Japan, where she was responsible for the business performance of PSA’s port terminals in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Japan. Ms Fu was elected as a Member of Parliament in June 2006 for the Group Representation Constituency of Jurong, Yuhua Division. She contested and won her seat in the Yuhua Single Member Constituency in the 2011, 2015 and 2020 General Elections. Since 2006, Ms Fu held appointments in various Ministries including National Development, Education, Information, Communications and the Arts, Environment and Water Resources, and Foreign Affairs.In 2015, Ms Fu was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Leader of the House. In July 2020, Ms Fu was appointed Minister for Sustainability and the Environment. In January 2024, Ms Fu concurrently assumed the responsibility as Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. In the same month that year, she was elected as President of the Singapore National Olympic Council. Ms Fu enjoys an active lifestyle, which includes running, yoga, and hiking. She is married with three sons. |
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09:25-09:45
Reinventing Commodities – Malaysia’s Competitiveness in Global Trade
Keynote Speaker:
YB Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Malaysia
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YB Datuk Seri Johari Abdul GhaniMinister of Plantation and Commodities
Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants. From June 2013 until May 2018, Datuk Seri Johari served as a Member of Parliament for Titiwangsa and from June 2016 until May 2018, he was the Minister of Finance II. In December 2022, he was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Titiwangsa. He was also Chairman of the Government Backbenchers Club following the 15th General Election until December 2023 when he was reappointed to the cabinet as the Minister of Commodities and Plantation. Datuk Seri Johari has been active in the corporate world for more than 30years. He began his career at the international accounting firm Peat Marwick & Co. (now known as KPMG). He went on to hold several senior positions, including Group Managing Director and Chairman in several Malaysian companies, both listed and unlisted, involved in the FMCG, agriculture, manufacturing and utilities industries. Datuk Seri Johari was formerly a Board member of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. He was also Chairman of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) and UDA Holdings Berhad as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera, the parent company of Permodalan Nasional Berhad, which holds more than RM300 billion of assets under management. He is Founder and Chairman of Yayasan Bena Nusa, which was established to help reduce urban poverty and improve education for children from urban poor families. |
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09:45-11:00
Navigating Shifts in Global Trade and Markets
Global trade and consumption patterns are changing, in response to uncertainty over US trade tariffs, European rules like the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products set to take effect in 2025, and other shifts. While sales to developed Western markets remain important, businesses and traders are increasingly looking at demand in Asian markets, including the region’s major economies like China and India, as well as consumption within Southeast Asia. This panel will explore the changing trade and market trends affecting the global agricultural commodities sector – and the implications of these shifts for businesses operating in ASEAN, including companies in Singapore.
- How is the global trade in sustainable commodities evolving?
- How are businesses in ASEAN pivoting in response to changing demand patterns?
- How are trade regulations and policies affecting the business and supply chain decisions of companies operating in ASEAN?
Panellists:
Ms. Fay Fay Choo, Asia Cocoa Director, Mars Inc
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Ms. Fay Fay ChooAsia Cocoa Director
Sustainability and strategic sourcing expert from agricultural value chains in Asia. 24 years of expertise in strategic sourcing including suppliers, supply chain development and new origin development. In the last decade, was focused on guiding, planning and implementing sustainable sourcing and working with cocoa smallholder farming families and communities in South East Asia. Passionate about community building and championing for more equitable sourcing models that puts farming families at the center and building business solutions and models around this. Systems thinker/doer and believes that trust is the basis for any long term partnerships and ability to build uncommon collaboration for the common good. |
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Dr. Petra Meekers, Chief Executive Officer, SIPEF
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Dr. Petra Meekers
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Ms. Anne Rosenbarger, Global Engagement Manager, Supply Chains, World Resources Institute (WRI)
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Ms. Anne RosenbargerGlobal Engagement Manager, Supply Chains
Anne Rosenbarger is the Global Engagement Manager for Supply Chains at the World Resources Institute. She has been based with WRI in Indonesia since 2010, concentrating primarily on addressing the links between agricultural supply chains and land use change. Her focus is on engaging and convening stakeholders to identify, align on, and implement evidence-based tools and processes for addressing sustainability challenges. Anne has also been serving as the co-chair of the RSPO Board of Governors since 2018, and as a member of the Board since 2015. She serves on various other RSPO groups such as the Standards Standing Committee, Biodiversity and High Conservation Value Working Group and Compensation Task Force. Prior to joining WRI, Anne conducted research on a range of topics related to tropical ecology and community-based forestry management. She received her master’s degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. |
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Moderator:
Associate Prof. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)
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Associate Prof. Simon TayChairman
Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policy-makers. He is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainablity issues that matter to policy makers and corporations in ASEAN and Asia. Consistently ranked by an international survey within the top 50 of the world and amongst the best in ASEAN, the SIIA is also rated the No 1 independent think tank across all of Asia. The SIIA works actively in “track 2” diplomacy with policy makers, not only in Singapore but across ASEAN, including previously advising the Indonesian and Myanmar governments on foreign investment. SIIA members and benefactors include many of leading Singaporean companies and multinationals. Presently, Prof Tay serves as an Ambassador for Singapore, accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is a board member of the Maritime Port Authority and also chairs the trade and sustainability dialogues for free trade agreements that Singapore has with the European Union and UK. He has previously served Singapore in a number of public appointments. These include Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08); Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019); independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); and to coordinate the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). He co-chaired a number of national public commissions such as Singapore 21, the Singapore Green Plan and the Singapore Concept Plan 2010. In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Additionally, Tay is a tenured Associate Professor, teaching since 1995 at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law with a focus on international law. He has also taught as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. In addition to academic works, his book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. His comments and interviews often feature in the international and regional media. Another aspect of Prof Tay’s work is to advise major corporations. Currently, he is Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of over 300 lawyers and offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. Previously, he served on global advisory boards for MUFG Bank of Japan, and Toyota Japan, and was Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). For more than a decade, he served as independent board director for companies including the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein and Deutsche Boerse (Asia). He is often asked to brief major corporate boards and financial institutions and has spoken at leading business conferences including the World Economic Forum, APEC and ASEAN CEO Summits. Additionally, Tay is a prize winning author of fiction and poetry. His 2010 novel City of Small Blessings was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize and in 2019 he received the SE Asia Write award in recognition of contributions to the region’s writing. He graduated in law from the National University of Singapore (1986), where he was president of the student union for three terms. He also holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (1993-94), which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship and where he won the Laylin prize for the best thesis in international law. He was born in 1961 and is the only son of the late Tay Seow Huah, a pioneer generation civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and the late Madam Cheong Keong Hin, a teacher. Prof Tay is married and has one son. |
Close
11:00-11:30
Coffee/Tea Break
11:30-12:00
The Future of Food and Agribusiness amidst Economic and Climate Challenges
Speaker:
Mr. Sunny Verghese, Executive Director, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Olam Group
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Mr. Sunny VergheseExecutive Director, Co-Founder and Group CEO |
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Facilitator:
Ms. Cheryl Chen, President, S&P Global Foundation; and Senior Director, Social Sustainability, S&P Global; Council Member, Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)
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Ms. Cheryl ChenPresident Senior Director, Social Sustainability Council Member Cheryl Chen serves as President of the S&P Global Foundation and Senior Director of Social Sustainability at S&P Global. She leads the Foundation’s global grantmaking efforts in areas including environmental resilience and developing talent in tech and data, while advancing human rights advocacy and responsible business practices across the company. Previously, she was Director of Global ESG Strategy and Engagement and earlier led Corporate Responsibility for Asia Pacific. Cheryl brings over 15 years of experience in corporate citizenship, having previously served as Vice President and Head of Corporate Citizenship for Citi Singapore. She serves as a District Councilor with the South East Community Development Council and is a management committee member of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation. She is also a Council Member with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Cheryl holds a double degree in Economics and Finance from Singapore Management University (SMU) and a Master of Social Science from SMU. |
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12:00-13:10
Balancing Growth with Sustainability – The Future of Production in ASEAN
ASEAN’s agricultural commodities sector is a key driver of economic growth for the region. However, the sector must contend with changing pressures. ASEAN countries are trying to produce more commodities, food, and biofuels in line with both export demand and their own domestic needs, including the increasing push towards the downstreaming of industries. At the same time, even as the region seeks to increase output and profitability, businesses must also respect sustainability commitments and the need to conserve ecosystems. This panel examines the future for sustainable production in ASEAN, and the potential role of businesses and investors in Singapore to work with partners across the region in transforming commodity industries.
- What policies are needed to support higher output in the commodities industry while simultaneously promoting sustainable land use?
- What are the challenges faced by producers in their operations, and how can these be addressed?
- What new business opportunities are emerging, ranging from the downstreaming of industries to the sale of carbon credits and ecosystem services?
Panellists:
Mr. Craig Tribolet, Deputy Director, Sustainability, APRIL Group
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Mr. Craig TriboletDeputy Director, Sustainability Craig Tribolet is Deputy Director, Sustainability of APRIL Group. In this role, he currently leads a team focused on delivering on APRIL’s sustainability commitments across the company’s operations in Riau province, in Sumatra, Indonesia. He also leads the implementation of APRIL’s landscape conservation strategy. This includes the company’s first Community Conservation agreements, which are designed to protect and restore natural forest adjacent to plantation concessions. Craig also helped lead the creation of APRIL’s Fire Free Village Program (FFVP) in 2014. The FFVP was the first community fire prevention program in the region. Under his leadership, the program has grown to cover 902,872 hectares, based on partnerships with nearly 40 communities around APRIL’s concession areas. Since it was set up, the FFVP has successfully decreased fire by almost 90 percent in areas where APRIL is working with local communities. A forest ecologist by training, Craig has more than 20 years’ experience as an operational forester, landscape ecologist and forest fire fighter in Australia and Indonesia. He has a Master’s degree in Business Management and is a published author and co-author on forest ecology, fire management and wildlife survey techniques. In his spare time, he is actively restoring native woodlands on his farm in Central New South Wales, Australia. |
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Mr. Agam Fatchurrochman, Head of Sustainability Communication Compartment, Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (GAPKI) / Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA)
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Mr. Agam FatchurrochmanHead of Sustainability Communication Compartment
Mr. Agam Fatchurrochman joined GAPKI as Head of Sustainability Compartment in 2015, and later appointed as Deputy Secretary General in 2018, and served as Secretary General a.i from 2020-2021. Since 2017, he serves as Deputy Head of Corporate Sustainability and CSR, oversees the management of Sustainability, CSR, Conservation & Fire Prevention programs. Previously since 2013 as Department Head of Sustainability System Development & Mitigation. He started his career with an NGO (Indonesia Corruption Watch) & a development organization (Partnership-UNDP), a mining firm (PT Inco, Tbk), UK consulting firm in Indonesia (for Aceh post tsunami project), and a government institution (Indonesia Estate Crop Funds for Palm Oil – BPDPKS). In the field of Sustainability, active as a member of the Indonesia National Interpretation Working Group for RSPO P&C 2018. Mr. Agam Fatchurrochman graduated from Gadjah Mada University (Accounting) and Nottingham University, UK (Corporate Strategy and Governance). Actively contributes to op-eds articles in newspapers, The Jakarta Post, Kompas, Koran Tempo, Kontan, Tambang magazine, Bisnis Indonesia, etc. |
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Mr. Hafizin Tajudin, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO)
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Mr. Hafizin TajudinChief Executive Officer
Hafizin Tajudin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme, where he leads national strategies to elevate sustainable production, strengthen global market access, and empower meaningful inclusion across the palm oil sector. He previously led public policy, market expansion, and strategic business units at TikTok and Touch ‘n Go, playing a key role in shaping digital ecosystems across fintech, mobility, and online platforms. His work spans government, industry, and technology — with a focus on driving inclusive growth and sustainability in ASEAN’s evolving economy. |
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Ms. Helena Ooi, Head of Strategy, Maybank Singapore
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Ms. Helena OoiHead of Strategy
She joined Maybank Group in 2012 in the Group Strategy Management team and moved on to the role of Head of Strategy & Transformation, Group Risk. In that role, she was responsible for initiating and driving strategic changes for risk management across the Maybank Group. Prior to joining Maybank, Helena was with the advisory divisions of KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young, before re-joining the banking industry with Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia. She started her career with HSBC Malaysia after graduating with Bachelor of Financial Engineering (Honours) from Multimedia University in Malaysia. |
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Mr. Olivier Tichit, Director, Communications and Sustainability, Musim Mas
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Mr. Olivier TichitDirector, Communications and Sustainability
Olivier is the Director of Communications and Sustainability at Musim Mas Group. He oversees the strategic direction of the group’s sustainability efforts, ensuring alignment with its core values and mission. Olivier drives sustainability synergies and fosters impactful partnerships, advancing the group’s commitment to sustainable practices and industry collaboration. Musim Mas is an active member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), where Olivier serves on the Board of Governors, representing Processors and Traders, co-chairs the Standing Committee for Standards, and is a member of the Finance Committee and of the Standing Committee for Assurance. Prior to Musim Mas, Olivier was the Group Head of Sustainability of SIPEF, a Belgian plantations company present in Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Before joining SIPEF, Olivier was the Indonesia Country Manager for a major commodities merchant group, Ecom Agroindustrial, and spearheaded sustainable certifications for coffee smallholders. |
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Moderator:
Ms. Khor Yu-Leng, Associate Director, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Ms. Khor Yu-LengAssociate Director
Ms Khor Yu Leng is senior economist at Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd, and Associate Director (Sustainability) at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. She works on business development and ESG risk for corporates and supply chains, including assignments for Fortune 100 and regional companies, financial institutions, international NGOs, and government agencies (e.g., the EU Commission, Malaysia and others). For 15 years, Yu Leng has followed the progression of sustainably produced commodities into the regulatory (forced labour and climate-aware) and green finance era. There have been many touch points with the financial sector, where she started her career. She has worked on market studies for palm oil, biofuels, rubber, timber, biomass, other agribusiness and suppliers of input, equipment and logistics; along with deep dive risk analysis studies for these and other sectors (e.g., e-commerce, telecommunications, mining). She has advised big buyers, SMEs and smallholders about sourcing and market opportunities, with a rising focus on the economics of carbon and conservation. Her comments are featured regularly in the media, including Malaysia’s BFM 89.9, Channel News Asia, China Daily, Bloomberg and Reuters. Trained at Oxford University and the London School of Economics, Yu Leng started her career in stockbroking and banking. She is a regional specialist with a global network. She is also an independent director at SIPEF (listed on Euronext), and at non-profit Rimba Collective, a FMCG-led fund targeting USD 1 billion for 500,000 hectares for long-term forest conservation and restoration in Southeast Asia. She has also covered China deals and supply chains in ASEAN and she is Associate Fellow at the Institute of China Studies at University Malaya. |
Close
13:10-13:15
Closing Remarks
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Assoc. Prof. Simon TayChairman
Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policy-makers. He is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainablity issues that matter to policy makers and corporations in ASEAN and Asia. Consistently ranked by an international survey within the top 50 of the world and amongst the best in ASEAN, the SIIA is also rated the No 1 independent think tank across all of Asia. The SIIA works actively in “track 2” diplomacy with policy makers, not only in Singapore but across ASEAN, including previously advising the Indonesian and Myanmar governments on foreign investment. SIIA members and benefactors include many of leading Singaporean companies and multinationals. Presently, Prof Tay serves as an Ambassador for Singapore, accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is a board member of the Maritime Port Authority and also chairs the trade and sustainability dialogues for free trade agreements that Singapore has with the European Union and UK. He has previously served Singapore in a number of public appointments. These include Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08); Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019); independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); and to coordinate the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). He co-chaired a number of national public commissions such as Singapore 21, the Singapore Green Plan and the Singapore Concept Plan 2010. In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Additionally, Tay is a tenured Associate Professor, teaching since 1995 at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law with a focus on international law. He has also taught as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. In addition to academic works, his book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. His comments and interviews often feature in the international and regional media. Another aspect of Prof Tay’s work is to advise major corporations. Currently, he is Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of over 300 lawyers and offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. Previously, he served on global advisory boards for MUFG Bank of Japan, and Toyota Japan, and was Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). For more than a decade, he served as independent board director for companies including the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein and Deutsche Boerse (Asia). He is often asked to brief major corporate boards and financial institutions and has spoken at leading business conferences including the World Economic Forum, APEC and ASEAN CEO Summits. Additionally, Tay is a prize winning author of fiction and poetry. His 2010 novel City of Small Blessings was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize and in 2019 he received the SE Asia Write award in recognition of contributions to the region’s writing. He graduated in law from the National University of Singapore (1986), where he was president of the student union for three terms. He also holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (1993-94), which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship and where he won the Laylin prize for the best thesis in international law. He was born in 1961 and is the only son of the late Tay Seow Huah, a pioneer generation civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and the late Madam Cheong Keong Hin, a teacher. Prof Tay is married and has one son. |
Close
13:15-14:00
Lunch
14:00
End of Programme
Note: This programme is subject to change.
Last updated: 26 May 2025
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