The 15th ASEAN LECTURE, ASEAN: Next 50
ASEAN Lecture Series
By Invitation Only
The 15th ASEAN LECTURE
ASEAN: Next 50
About the Lecture
As the curtain falls on ASEAN’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2018 marks the Association’s first steps into the next fifty years. These first steps will be challenging, as ASEAN contends with shifting geopolitical realities and an evolving security landscape, but they will also bring opportunities, as ASEAN leverages on new technologies and harnesses its thriving human capital to realise its economic potential. To steer ASEAN confidently towards its future, Singapore’s vision is to build a united, resilient and innovative Community. But what does it mean to be resilient and innovative, and what will it take for ASEAN to achieve its vision? In his lecture, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will address these questions. He will take stock of ASEAN’s journey since its founding, reflect upon the challenges it still faces today, and provide some insight into Singapore’s priorities as ASEAN Chair in 2018.
About the Speaker
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, 56, studied Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) after being awarded the President’s Scholarship in 1980. He was elected President of the NUS Students’ Union from 1981 to 1983 and Chairman from 1984 to 1985. After graduation, Dr Balakrishnan specialised in Ophthalmology. He was appointed Associate Professor of NUS and Deputy Director of Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) in 1997. In 1999, he became Medical Director of SNEC. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Singapore General Hospital in 2000. Dr Balakrishnan has been a Member of Parliament since 2001. Currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative, Dr Balakrishnan has also previously held appointments as the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Minister responsible for Entrepreneurship, Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister of State for National Development.