Simon Tay
Encyclopedia
Simon Tay is a Singaporean professor, author, and former nominated member of Parliament
.
of Singapore, the country's main agency for environmental protection and public health. He served as a non-elected Nominated Member of Parliament
from 1997 to 2001. In 1991, Tay started the Singapore Volunteers Overseas (now known as Singapore International Volunteers)
, which recruits young volunteers to provide technical assistance in developing countries. In 2006, he received the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat, PBM) from the Singapore government, a National Day Award.
Tay was named a "global leader of tomorrow" during the 2000 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in addition to being featured in the Far Eastern Economic Review
as one of 'Ten People to Watch in Asia'. In 2009, Tay spent a year in New York as a Bernard Schwartz Fellow.
He is currently Associate Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore
, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs
(a non-governmental think tank) and Senior Consultant at the WongPartnership, a Singapore law firm.
Tay writes fortnightly commentaries in TODAY
, a Singaporean newspaper. His columns are also featured in other Asian newspapers such as Hong Kong's South China Morning Post
, Thailand's Nation
and Indonesia's Jakarta Post
. He appears regularly in American and international media, including BBC
, CNN
, and Bloomberg
.
Tay formerly taught at Harvard Law School, Yale and the Fletcher School of Tufts University as a visiting professor.
Apart from his academic and political interests Tay is a poet and author. His 2009 non-fiction book Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide from America was reviewed by The Economist and The Financial Times. His novel City of Small Blessings won the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize. His collection of short stories, Stand Alone, was awarded the Highly Commended prize from the National Book Development Council of Singapore Awards.
as a Fulbright Scholar, where in 1994 he won the Laylin Prize for best graduate paper in Public International Law. He has an LL.B. (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore
.
, a senior civil servant in Singapore.
Tay currently resides in Singapore with his wife and son.
Fiction
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
.
Career
From 2002 to 2008, Tay chaired the National Environment AgencyNational Environment Agency
National Environment Agency formed on 1 July 2002, is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore. As a statutory board, it gives NEA greater administrative autonomy to be more nimble in the protection of the environment...
of Singapore, the country's main agency for environmental protection and public health. He served as a non-elected Nominated Member of Parliament
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
from 1997 to 2001. In 1991, Tay started the Singapore Volunteers Overseas (now known as Singapore International Volunteers)
Singapore International Foundation
The Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities....
, which recruits young volunteers to provide technical assistance in developing countries. In 2006, he received the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat, PBM) from the Singapore government, a National Day Award.
Tay was named a "global leader of tomorrow" during the 2000 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in addition to being featured in the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
as one of 'Ten People to Watch in Asia'. In 2009, Tay spent a year in New York as a Bernard Schwartz Fellow.
He is currently Associate Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore Faculty of Law
The National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law is the older of Singapore's two law schools. The Faculty was initially established as the Department of Law in the then University of Malaya in 1956, with the first batch of students matriculating in the following year...
, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs is a non-government think tank based in Singapore. The Institute conducts research, hosts events, and plans conferences that deal with pressing issues in international affairs, with special focus on South East Asia...
(a non-governmental think tank) and Senior Consultant at the WongPartnership, a Singapore law firm.
Tay writes fortnightly commentaries in TODAY
Today (Singapore newspaper)
Today is a free English-language compact in Singapore published by government-owned MediaCorp print media arm. It is distributed from Monday to Sunday....
, a Singaporean newspaper. His columns are also featured in other Asian newspapers such as Hong Kong's South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
, Thailand's Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
and Indonesia's Jakarta Post
The Jakarta Post
The Jakarta Post is a daily English language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara, and the head office is in the nation's capital, Jakarta....
. He appears regularly in American and international media, including BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
.
Tay formerly taught at Harvard Law School, Yale and the Fletcher School of Tufts University as a visiting professor.
Apart from his academic and political interests Tay is a poet and author. His 2009 non-fiction book Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide from America was reviewed by The Economist and The Financial Times. His novel City of Small Blessings won the 2010 Singapore Literature Prize. His collection of short stories, Stand Alone, was awarded the Highly Commended prize from the National Book Development Council of Singapore Awards.
Education
Tay received an LL.M. from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
as a Fulbright Scholar, where in 1994 he won the Laylin Prize for best graduate paper in Public International Law. He has an LL.B. (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
.
Personal life
Tay's father was Tay Seow HuahTay Seow Huah
Mr Tay Seow Huah was a senior civil servant who served at various times as Director of the Special Branch, Director of the Security and Intelligence Division, Permanent Secretary and Permanent Secretary , prior to his retirement in 1976. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in 1967, and...
, a senior civil servant in Singapore.
Tay currently resides in Singapore with his wife and son.
Selected Writings
Non-Fiction- Simon Tay, Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide From America, John Wiley and Sons, 2010, ISBN 978-0-470-82582-2
- Simon Tay, Yeo Lay Hwee (eds.), Elections in Asia: Making Democracy Work?, Singapore, 2006, ISBN 9789812104489
- Simon Tay, Jesus P. Estanislao & Hadi SoesastroHadi SoesastroHadi Soesastro was an Indonesian economist, academic and public intellectual. He was one of the founders of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies , a think tank founded in 1971, where he served as an executive director and economist...
(eds.), Reinventing ASEAN, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2001 ISBN 981-230-147X - Simon Tay, Alien Asian: A Singaporean in America, Singapore, 1997, ISBN 9789813065086
Fiction
- Simon Tay, City of Small Blessings, Landmark Books, Singapore, 2009, ISBN 9789814189194
- Simon Tay, Stand Alone, Singapore, 1991, ISBN 9813002417
- Simon Tay, 5, National University of Singapore Press, Singapore, 1985