Transcript of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's Opening Remarks at the Foreign Service Scholarship Award Ceremony, 11 August 2023

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you, friends, colleagues, Permanent Secretary, Deputy Secretary, distinguished guests, (and) of course, the two recipients yourselves, your parents, teachers, Deputy Principal.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me begin on behalf of everyone here by offer(ing) our warmest congratulations to the two recipients of this year's foreign service scholarship, Evelyne and Jie Xin. I presume by now you know that you have made your parents very proud. In case you do not know, yes, as a parent myself, I can tell you there are few moments in life when parents are prouder than now. And also your teachers, your principals, the people who have worked with you on the journey so far. So congratulations.

Today also marks the beginning of your journey. I want to say it is going to be a long journey, officially as a scholar, as an undergraduate, and in fact, as a Foreign Service Officer. Thinking back, at the age of 18 or 19, the truth is, we are often made to make decisions, make choices, before you really think you are completely ready for it.

Basically, there will be a mixture of excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and I am sure it is a whole gamut of emotions. But I want to tell you that it is a long but exciting, and more importantly, a meaningful journey ahead. At this age, you have to make a choice on a career. Frankly, for people like you, the world is your oyster, and you could literally do anything. But there are some careers which not only engage the brain - the intellectual part of you - but also engage the heart and to know that what you are going to do and the sacrifices you are going to make are meaningful. You are contributing to something larger than yourself. It is not just a job. It is not just a scholarship. But by joining MFA, you are core and part and parcel of Singapore's independence, sovereignty, and our viability and vitality for the future.

So, today is about you, but in fact, this journey is about far more than the two of you as individuals. The work of Foreign Service Officers, quite frankly, has become even more challenging. The world is in a complicated place. There is a hot war in Europe, instability in parts of Africa, superpower rivalry between the United States and China, (and) we are still in the immediate post-pandemic phase.

Climate change is ongoing. We may even have gone past the tipping point of climate change, in which case, a future with floods, droughts, extreme weather, crop failures, and other natural disasters, is a realistic possibility in your career ahead. On top of that, there are also ongoing revolutions in artificial intelligence, clean energy, and synthetic biotechnology, which means the world is also at another phase. It is as if a new industrial revolution has begun. And we know from history, that every time a new industrial revolution begins, it is a period of instability – there are new winners, new losers. (It is) a period sometimes accompanied by greater inequality in the initial phases, before the necessary political, social, and other compensatory mechanisms kick in to create a more stable world with more distributed opportunities and a fairer society for all. Whether you like it or not, these are unprecedented times. Yet, Singapore remains tiny, small, (and) vulnerable. The existential vulnerabilities for us 58 years ago still remain.

But the challenges have become more real, more central. And that fundamental question of our independence, our sovereignty, our relevance, and our viability as a city state in the heart of Southeast Asia, those fundamental questions remain central to our obsessions as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So, you will play a critical role, as I have said, in safeguarding (and) ensuring our independence, our sovereignty, our relevance, our prosperity, and even our cohesion.

You may not think that external foreign relations has a lot to do with cohesion, but one thing which we learnt during COVID was that every Foreign Service Officer actually is also a consular officer. Because Singaporeans travel, work, live, study all over the world. When things happen, and when they are in trouble, they will need help. And the thing which they appreciate most is to hear a Singaporean voice at the other end of the phone, or email, or better still, a handshake and the eye-to-eye contact. So, you will be representatives of Singapore, both overseas and domestically. You will have to promote the standing of Singapore.

I take it for granted that you will do well academically so that is not really a question. But I want you to also use your time at university to truly broaden your minds, expand your networks, experience novel journeys. Always look back at the end of each month or each year and say, “What have you learned?” “What new skills, new group of people, what new experience have you added on?” Every time you make a new friend, broaden your network, or widen your perspective, and grow and mature as an individual, that makes you even more effective as a representative, as a guardian, and as an advocate for Singapore.

Evelyne, I believe you are going to Japan and Jie Xin to China. I am glad both of you have taken the path a little less well travelled by most of our scholars. But I think in these times, these diverse pathways actually become even more relevant. So I hope you will gain new insights into the world, new insights into Singapore’s place in the world, and use your time there to truly expand your horizons.

Let me again bid you both a very warm welcome to our family. I cannot promise you an easy, smooth ride. But I can promise you a long career, a meaningful career, an exhilarating time, and really that sense of significance. Because frankly, I think there is no more noble appointment than to have the privilege of representing your own country. Congratulations!   

Photo caption: From left to right: Lee Jie Xin (Singapore Government Scholar, Foreign Service), Permanent Secretary Albert Chua, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Evelyne Chua (Public Service Commission Scholar, Foreign Service) 

Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Photos caption: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan with Evelyne Chua, recipient of the Public Service Commission Scholarship (Foreign Service), at the Foreign Service Scholarship Award ceremony on 11 Aug 2023.

Photos credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Photos caption: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan with Lee Jie Xin, recipient of the Singapore Government Scholarship (Foreign Service), at the Foreign Service Scholarship Award ceremony on 11 Aug 2023.

Photos credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore