University Awards

Outstanding Service Award

I have only done as most of us have done, and that’s what we could — for our families, for the organisations we belonged to, for our country. Some of us are fortunate in that what we did attracted greater attention, but no contribution could have been possible without the contributions of all, whether recognised or not. Only narcissists who have no reference point outside themselves lead futile lives, even if they are ones of high achievement. ” Mr Bilahari Kausikan Read Citation
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Current Portfolio

  • Chairman, Middle East Institute, NUS

Lifetime Achievements

  • In a career spanning 37 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kausikan served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad. These included Ambassador to The Russian Federation and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. He was appointed Deputy Secretary for Southeast Asia in 1998 and Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) in 2001. He served as Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) from 2010, before retiring in 2013, whereupon he was appointed Ambassador-at-Large, a position he held until 2018.
  • Mr Kausikan became Chairman of the Management Board of the Middle East Institute (MEI) in 2017, and has guided MEI’s focus and publications towards what was relevant to its primary stakeholders in the Singapore government and comprehensible to the general public, while maintaining the highest standards of academic rigour. MEI is now well-known in East Asia, the Middle East, the US and Europe. Mr Kausikan will be retiring as MEI Chairman in end-August 2024, but will remain associated with the institute as an Honorary Fellow.
  • Mr Kausikan is also an author, with three books, Dealing with an Ambiguous World (World Scientific, 2016), Singapore Is Not An Island (Straits Times Press, 2017), followed by Singapore Is Still Not An Island (Straits Times Press, 2023)

Service to nation and the international community

  • Mr Kausikan has contributed to steering Singapore’s foreign relations in an increasingly complex and uncertain international environment. Known for his pragmatic and candid views, he has written and spoken extensively on the complexities of diplomacy, nation-states and international politics, particularly the role of ASEAN vis-à-vis the global powers.
  • As Chairman of MEI, Mr Kausikan has leveraged on his decades of diplomatic service experience, and wide global and national recognition, to drive the institute’s impactful research, and enhanced its stature and reputation.
  • He has been a true leader for the MEI team, always available to everyone, honest and insightful in his many discussions with the research team, and clear and precise in his guidance to the Board and the administrative team.

Awards and Accolades

  • The Oman Civil Merit Order, Second Class, Oman (2013)
  • Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal), National Day Awards (2012)
  • Order of Bernardo O’Higgins with the rank of Gran Cruz, Chile (2002)
  • Public Administration Medal (Gold), National Day Awards (2001)

Education

  • BA (University of Singapore)
  • MA (Columbia University)
 
 Honour Roll Recipients