Singapore, Thursday, 23 January 2020 – Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), has been appointed Ambassador for Singapore. He will be accredited to the Hellenic Republic (Greece) on a non-residential basis. He will continue as SIIA chairman and in other appointments concurrently.
Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, presented the Letter of Credence to Associate Professor Tay at a ceremony held at the Istana in Singapore on Thursday, 23 January 2020. Associate Professor Tay will undertake his first official visit to Greece in February 2020.
On his ambassadorial appointment, Associate Professor Tay looks forward to develop ties with Greece in the context of Singapore’s partnership with the European Union.
He said, “I’m honoured to represent our country and hope that the experience can also enrich my work at the SIIA. Progressing ties with the European Union and to member countries like Greece are important in upholding our multilateral world.”
Associate Professor Tay is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. He is concurrently a tenured Associate Professor, teaching international law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law. He is also Senior Consultant at WongPartnership.
From 1992 to 2008, he served in a number of public appointments for Singapore. These included serving as Chairman of Singapore’s National Environment Agency; and as an independent Nominated Member of Parliament (1997-2001). In 2006, Professor Tay received a National Day Award.
Associate Professor Tay has also served as advisors on boards of major companies, including Toyota Corporation, Mitsubishi United Financial Group and Far East Organisation.
His book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist, Financial Times and regional media. His commentaries feature regularly in regional newspapers. He is also a prize winning author with five books of stories and poems, including his novel City of Small Blessings which was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize in 2010.
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Established in 1962, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is a non-profit and independent think tank committed to producing policy analysis, fostering in-depth dialogues and bridging gaps between policymakers, private sector decision-makers and experts to shape public policy and social responses. Centred around ASEAN focused themes, the institute aims to deliver policy analysis in international affairs and on issues driving environmental sustainability. The SIIA has been consistently ranked as one of the leading think tanks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in the Global Go-To Think Tank Index by the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2017, the SIIA was ranked the No. 1 independent think tank in Asia. It was also recognised as one of the top 50 think tanks globally, excluding the United States of America. In 2019, it was recognised as the No. 1 think tank in South, Southeast Asia and Pacific (excluding India).
