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About the Singapore Institute of International Affairs
 
Energizing Change
 
The SIIA forges close partnerships between countries for growth and stability in the region, through research and dialogue. We are a founding member of the influential ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies Network (ASEAN-ISIS) and work with our fellow think tanks to advise government and decision makers.
 
 
Enriching Minds
 
In a journey of discovery into the world of ideas, the SIIA offers enrichment to professionals, managers, and business people. We host lectures, dialogues, talks on international affairs and business trends. Delivered by top experts and leaders in the political, commercial and civic communities, discussions are candid, provocative and insightful.
 
 
Engaging People
 
Our events allow like minds to meet, learn and connect with leading experts such as Managing Director of The World Bank, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Thailand’s Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Former Trade Minister of Indonesia Dr Mari Pangestu to examine international issues that impact Singapore and the world.
 
Our Mission
  The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is an independent organization dedicated to the research, analysis and discussion of regional and international issues. We aim to make Singapore a more cosmopolitan and global society through research, policy work and public education on international affairs. Founded in 1961 and registered as a membership-based society, we are Singapore’s oldest think tank.  
 
Our Structure
 

The work of the organization is guided by an elected Council, and by a small group of advisors. The present Chairman of the SIIA is Associate Professor Simon SC Tay, a professor of law at the National University of Singapore, and former Chairman of Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA). The SIIA’s founders include academics and enthusiasts, among them Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large. From the 1980s to the early 1990s, the SIIA was chaired by Dr Lau Teik Soon, former Member of Parliament who helped start the influential ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies network (ASEAN-ISIS), of which the SIIA is a founding member. In 2005, Former President S.R. Nathan became the SIIA’s first Honorary Member.

The SIIA is an independent organization, funded by foundations, membership subscriptions and corporate sponsorship. We receive no regular funding from the Singapore government. We welcome opportunities to work with any organization committed to making Singapore a better-informed, more cosmopolitan society that understands the region and contributes actively to its development.

In 2012, the institute was ranked as the top think tank in South-east Asia by the 2012 Global Go To Think Tank Rankings.