Kishore Mahbubani

National University of Singapore

Kishore Mahbubani, diplomat and author, is dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He is the author of four books, most recently The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World.

Mahbubani was in the Singapore foreign service from 1971 to 2004. He has been posted in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Washington D.C., and served two postings as Singapore ambassador to the UN.

Mahbubani has also served as president of the UN Security Council in January 2001 and May 2002. From 1993 to 1998 he was permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry of Singapore. In 2004 he was appointed as dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Featured Work

ASEAN Headquarters, Jakarta. CREDIT: <a href=<"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations#/media/File:ASEAN_HQ_1.jpg">Gunawan Kartapranata</a> via Wikipedia

AUG 23, 2016 Podcast

The "Living, Breathing Modern Miracle" of ASEAN

Southeast Asia is the most diverse region on Earth, says Kishore Mahbubani, yet instead of a clash of civilizations, ASEAN is bringing about a fusion ...

The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World

FEB 12, 2013 Podcast

The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World

As more people become prosperous and interstate conflicts diminish, there is a convergence between East and West, says Kishore Mahbubani. Now we have to change ...

OCT 16, 2012 Podcast

Public Affairs: America in the 21st Century: A View from Asia

The good, the bad, and the ugly: distinguished Singaporean Kishore Mahbubani politely but firmly tells Americans how Asians see them, and warns, "the world that ...

The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East

MAR 4, 2008 Podcast

The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East

Kishore Mahbubani argues that the Western dominance is waning and Asia has adopted many Western best practices, from meritocracy to free-market economics. Therefore it's high ...

Beyond the Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America and the World

MAR 2, 2005 Podcast

Beyond the Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America and the World

Mahbubani observes that much of the world is disappointed with America's leadership, and yet would like it to take the lead in creating a stable ...

The UN Security Council: From the Cold War to the 21st Century

MAR 4, 2004 Transcript

The UN Security Council: From the Cold War to the 21st Century

Malone points out that disagreements among the Permanent Five Security Council members have been confined to just three issues since the end of the Cold ...

Unilateralism and U.S. Foreign Policy

APR 24, 2003 Transcript

Unilateralism and U.S. Foreign Policy

How is U.S. unilateralism in foreign policy perceived from abroad? This panel of international affairs experts presents a range foreign perspectives and discusses the ...

Can Asians Think? Understanding the Divide Between East and West

JAN 24, 2002 Transcript

Can Asians Think? Understanding the Divide Between East and West

The world is nearing the end of a 500-year cycle of Western-dominated history that began with European colonization, says Mahbubani. The end of the Cold ...