DILI, 02 June 2025 (TATOLI) – The Singaporean veteran diplomat, professor of philosophy, and author Kishore Mahbubani is set to visit Timor-Leste at the invitation of President José Ramos-Horta.
The informal invitation was extended by President Ramos-Horta during a lunch hosted by Singapore’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Robin Hu, on the sidelines of the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30.
Horta described Kishore Mahbubani as a brilliant mind who is often blunt when speaking to global powers.
The Head of State said that during Kishore Mahbubani’s stay in Timor-Leste, he will deliver a lecture on the state of the world and how Timor-Leste can navigate both calm and rough seas.
The Singaporean diplomat and geopolitical consultant served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1984 to 1989, and again from 1998 to 2004. He also held the position of President of the United Nations Security Council between 2001 and 2002.
After stepping down, he continued to serve as a senior advisor at the National University of Singapore while engaging in a nine-month sabbatical at several universities, including Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.
He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute. In 2019, Mahbubani was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Mahbubani frequently delivers talks on the rise of Asia, geopolitics, and global governance.
Recognized globally for his influence, he has been named one of the world’s top 100 public intellectuals by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines, and listed among the Financial Times’ Top 50 figures shaping the future debate on capitalism.
TATOLI
