Kishore Mahbubani (born 24 October 1948) is a Singaporean diplomat and
geopolitical
Geopolitics () is the study of the effects of Earth's geography on politics and international relations. Geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states: ''de facto'' independen ...
consultant who served as Singapore
Permanent Representative to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
between 1984 and 1989, and again between 1998 and 2004, and
President
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* President (education), a leader of a college or university
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Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
of the
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
between 2001 and 2002.
[
After stepping down, he remained serving as a senior advisor at the ]National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
while engaging in a nine-month sabbatical at various universities, including Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, formerly known as the Ash Institute, was established in 2003 and is part of the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States.
The Center's miss ...
. 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
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
.
Between 2004 and 2017, he served as Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) is an autonomous postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore (NUS), named after the late former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew.
History
The Lee Kuan Yew School of ...
at the National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
.
Early life and education
Mahbubani was born in Singapore to a Sindhi-speaking Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
family who were displaced from Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
province during the Partition of India
The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
.
He attended Tanjong Katong Technical School and St. Andrew's School before he was awarded the President's Scholarship in 1967 to study at the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
), where he graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
with first class honours degree in philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
.
He subsequently went on to complete a Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree in philosophy at Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
in 1976.
Mahbubani was conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
from Dalhousie University in 1995.
Career
Public service
After his graduation in 1971, Mahbubani joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
(MFA) as a foreign service officer. His earlier postings included Cambodia, Malaysia and the United States. From 1993 to 1998, he held the position of Permanent Secretary at MFA. Later, he served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. In that role, he served as President of the United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
in January 2001 and May 2002.
Academic career
Mahbubani's academic career began when he was appointed as the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) is an autonomous postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore (NUS), named after the late former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew.
History
The Lee Kuan Yew School of ...
, National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
. He is also a Professor in the Practice of Public Policy. In 2017, he stepped down as Dean. His term as Dean was also marked by controversies, most notably when one of the school's senior academics, Dr Huang Jing, was identified as "an agent of influence of a foreign country" by the Government and expelled.
Several months prior to his resignation, he also drew criticism from Law Minister K Shanmugam and senior diplomats including Ambassador at Large Bilahari Kausikan for one of his commentaries that was published in the Straits Times.
In addition, he was a fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1991–92.[ He currently also serves on the board of the International Advisory Council at Bocconi.
In October 2024, African School of Governance Foundation (ASGF) appointed him a member of the Governing Board of the newly established African School of Governance (ASG) based in Kigali, Rwanda.
]
Author
Mahbubani is best known outside Singapore for his books ''Can Asians Think?'', ''Beyond The Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust between America and the World'', and ''The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East''.[ His latest book, ''Has China Won?'', was published in 2020.
His articles have appeared in newspapers such as '']Foreign Affairs
''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
'', ''Foreign Policy
Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
'', the '' Washington Quarterly'', ''Survival
Survival or survivorship, the act of surviving, is the propensity of something to continue existing, particularly when this is done despite conditions that might kill or destroy it. The concept can be applied to humans and other living things ...
'', ''American Interest'', the ''National Interest
The national interest is a sovereign state's goals and ambitions – be they economic, military, cultural, or otherwise – taken to be the aim of its government.
Etymology
The Italian phrase ''ragione degli stati'' was first used by Giovanni de ...
'', Time, ''Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'', the ''Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' and the ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Mahbubani also writes regularly for Singapore's ''The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
''. In the lead up to Singapore's 50th anniversary of independence, he began a series on "big ideas" that he hoped would help Singapore succeed in the following half-century.
Board memberships
Mahbubani continues to serve in boards and councils of several institutions in Singapore, Europe and North America, including the Yale President's Council on International Activities, Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs
The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) is a non-profit educational organization of graduate schools of international affairs, with 42 members and 37 affiliates around the world as of February 2022; two members we ...
, Indian Prime Minister's Global Advisory Council, Bocconi University
Bocconi University or Università Bocconi (formally known in Italian language, Italian as ''Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi'' – Luigi Bocconi Commercial University) is a private university in Milan, Italy. The university is consistently ...
's International Advisory Committee, World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
's Global Agenda Council on China, and Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize's nominating committee.
Mahbubani also spoke as part of Asian Institute of Finance's Distinguished Speaker Series in 2015 with the title "Can ASEAN re-invent itself?" to over hundreds of financial institution practitioners in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
.
In 2019, Mahbubani was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
.
Mahbubani is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the WORLD.MINDS Foundation, where he engages in dialogue on geopolitics, multilateralism, and global governance.
Honours
* Public Administration Medal (Gold) (1998)
Mahbubani was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Gold) by the Singapore government in 1998. The Foreign Policy Association Medal was awarded to him in New York in June 2004 with the following opening words in the citation: "A gifted diplomat, a student of history and philosophy, a provocative writer and an intuitive thinker". Mahbubani was also listed as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world by ''Foreign Policy
Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
'' and '' Prospect'' magazines in September 2005, and included in the March 2009 ''Financial Times'' list of Top 50 individuals who would shape the debate on the future of capitalism. Mahbubani was selected as one of ''Foreign Policy'' Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2010 and 2011 and one of ''Prospect''s top 50 world thinkers in 2014.
The secondary school library of the Tampines
Tampines ( or ) is the Regional centre (Singapore), regional centre of the East Region, Singapore, East Region of Singapore. With a population of 284,560 living across its five subzones as of 2024, it is the most populous Planning Areas of Sin ...
campus of the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) is named after Mahbubani. He is also a former chair of the UWCSEA foundation.
Positions
China
In his books, which are intended for a more extensive readership, the author principally analyses the interactions between Europe, Asia and North America. In accordance with Mahbubani's argument, the economic ascendance of Asia (notably China) signifies the necessity for other nations to embrace diverse social and political frameworks to avert substantial discord. It is evident that certain European nations have distanced themselves from imperialist and hegemonic claims since the conclusion of the colonial era and the Second World War. This shift in perspective has been observed by Mahbubani, who holds a favourable outlook on European-Asian relations, particularly in light of this historical development.
He identifies, though, a heightened potential for conflict in North American-Asian relations, particularly between the USA and China. Mahbubani (2023) posits that the moralising and condescending mindset of the United States and its ambitions to assert US hegemony in the world will significantly hinder the US's ability to cooperate with China and, more broadly, with all of Asia. According to Mahbubani, this phenomenon gives rise not only to global political tensions, but also to social tensions, because for a considerable number of individuals residing outside the United States, the US self-portrayal as a moralizer is perceived as "incredibly bizarre and hypocritical" in the face of the country's extremely aggressive foreign policy. In this particular context, the author's standpoint is that a considerable number of European governments continue to exhibit a degree of subservience towards the United States, as opposed to the pursuit of their own national interests and agendas.
Democracy
Mahbubani is committed to democracy as a goal for China as well, but sees differing views on the right path and the timeframe. The Russian population suffered from the rapid democratization process. "When Russia became democratic almost overnight, the economy shrank dramatically; life expectancy fell, and the infant mortality rate initially rose significantly. Therefore, the Chinese population is convinced that it would be better to embark on a slow transition process toward democratization." The United States also proclaimed its concept of the equality of all people during its civil war in the 19th century, "yet it took them almost 100 years to finally banish slavery. And it took 150 years of American democratization history before women were allowed to vote." It is hard to find a process in history that took less than 200 years to establish a functioning democracy. "If China could achieve this in half the time, that would already be a miracle."
He demands that the West stop trying to simply export democracy to the rest of the world.This is the lesson we learned from the Iraq War: that an army of Christian-socialized soldiers landing on the soil of an Islamic country cannot sow the seeds of democracy without ending in complete disaster. We should completely reject this idea that democracy can simply be exported and imposed by the military of a superpower.
International institutions
Mahbubani sees the dominance of the West, and especially the US, in the world order, with 60% Western control of the UN Security Council and 100% control of the IMF and World Bank. "Another irony is that the world's most democratic countries are responsible for the democratic deficit that harms the most important international organizations." Western democracies are programmed to sacrifice global needs in favor of national interests.It is therefore high time that the West recognizes that it is responsible for the critical bottleneck in the reform of the world order. Any Western analysis of the state of the world order should be based on the assumption that the problem is not with "others," but with "us." The big question for the world is: When will the West transform from a problem into a solution?
EU
In 2025, Mahbubani published an article in Foreign Policy titled " ''It's Time for Europe to Do the Unthinkable'' ." He argued that the EU should take three unthinkable actions.
1. An EU with 5% military spending is equal to the USA and should accordingly make its own policies, following the same geopolitical principles as the USA.In contrast, Europe's persistent adherence to NATO after Trump's provocative actions gives the impression of licking the boots that kick in its face.
2. The EU would need to reach a strategic compromise with Russia. In the long term, after strategic trust between Russia and a geopolitically autonomous Europe has been restored, Mahbubani sees the possibility that Ukraine could gradually serve as a bridge between the EU and Russia rather than remaining a constant bone of contention.
3. China could help the EU, through a strategic agreement, address its real long-term geopolitical problem, which Mahbuani sees as demographic growth in Africa. "To maintain a Europe governed by moderate parties, any foreign investment in Africa that creates jobs and retains local people should be welcomed. But instead, Europe is shooting itself in the foot by criticizing and blocking China's investments in Africa."It (Europe) should carry out the currently unthinkable option: Declare that henceforth it will be a strategically autonomous actor on the world stage that will put its own interests first. Trump may finally show some respect for Europe if it does that..
As early as 2020, Mahbubani presented his thesis that the EU only has a geopolitical chance as long as China pursues the same interests. Therefore, it must assert its own interests more forcefully vis-à-vis the US.
The EU ambassador in Washington should now work hard on a declaration that the EU and the US will also "preserve and defend multilateralism, with the United Nations, the WTO, and the WHO at its core." If Europe could achieve this, the end result would be a safer, more reliable, and more stable world—to the benefit of the people of Europe and around the globe. Fortune favors the brave. The time has come for Europe to show courageous leadership.
Human Rights
Mahbubani criticises Western human rights campaigns for putting the cart before the horse, for double standards and for disregarding preparation, context and essential preconditions. He believes that Western-initiated human rights campaigns prioritise civil liberties over civil order and economic development. He suggests that a high level of human rights is achieved at the end of a process that includes economic development and the development of a middle class. Mahbubani argues that when human rights campaigns are driven by national governments, they are often driven by national interests, leading to inconsistencies and double standards in their application. He points out that the West may object to the reversal of democracy in some countries but not in others, and that there is a perception in the Islamic world that the loss of Islamic lives is not valued as much as it should be. He suggests that imposing democracy without proper preparation, as in the Balkans or parts of Africa, can lead to disastrous results, such as the rise of nationalist sentiment and instability. He emphasises that it took centuries for Western nations to reach their current standards of human rights, such as giving women and minorities the right to vote, and that this progress was not achieved overnight.
Personal life
Mahbubani was previously married to Gretchen Gustafson, a journalist and author on 21 June 1975.
Mahbubani later married Anne King Markey on 30 March 1985. When Mahbubani first met Anne, she was part of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and he was serving as the deputy chief of the Singaporean mission in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
The couple has two sons and one daughter.
Mahbubani said in an interview that he enjoys jogging as a way of relaxing and easing his mind. He also has a habit of writing while listening to the music of Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...
which his mother often put on the radio when he was a child. He also has a Chinese name, being known as ( zh, s=马凯硕, p=Mǎ Kǎishuò).
In April 2016, Mahbubani suffered severe chest pains while jogging. He later underwent a double heart bypass operation.
Quotation
Two thousand years of geopolitics has taught us a simple and obvious lesson: All great powers will put their own interests first and, if necessary, sacrifice the interests of their allies. Trump is behaving like a rational geopolitical actor in putting what he perceives to be his country's interests first. Europe shouldn't just criticize Trump—instead, it should emulate him. It should carry out the currently unthinkable option: Declare that henceforth it will be a strategically autonomous actor on the world stage that will put its own interests first. Trump may finally show some respect for Europe if it does that.
Books
*
Can Asians Think? Understanding the Divide Between East and West.
', Steerforth, 2001, ; Times Editions; 3rd edition, 2004,
*
Beyond the Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America and the World
', Perseus Books Group, 2005,
*
The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East
', PublicAffairs, 2008,
*
The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World
', PublicAffairs, 2013,
* ''Can Singapore Survive?'', Straits Times Books, 2015,
* ''The ASEAN Miracle: A Catalyst for Peace'', Ridge Books, 2017,
* ''Has the West Lost It? A Provocation'', Penguin Books, 2018,
* ''Has China Won?: The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy'', PublicAffairs, 2020,
*
The Asian 21st Century
', Springer, 2022,
* ''Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir'', PublicAffairs, 2024,
References
External links
Kishore Mahbubani's Official Website
–
Kishore Mahbubani's Official Website
–
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Podcast of Kishore Mahbubani discussing "the Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East" at the Shanghai International Literary Festival
Transcript of interview on VPRO's ''Tegenlicht'' (Dutch Television)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahbubani, Kishore
1948 births
Living people
Singaporean international relations scholars
Theorists on Western civilization
Singaporean diplomats
Singaporean Hindus
Singaporean people of Sindhi descent
Singaporean sinologists
Harvard Fellows
Permanent representatives of Singapore to the United Nations
Political realism
Academic staff of the National University of Singapore
University of Singapore alumni
Saint Andrew's School, Singapore alumni
Dalhousie University alumni
Singaporean people of Indian descent
Sindhi people
Recipients of the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs
Sindhi Hindus