Given the level of commitment needed to complete a PhD, it is essential to have a clear vision for how the degree will help you achieve your goals. From the time I was a high school teacher two decades ago, I have had a passion and talent for teaching. I also love reading, writing, thinking about, and debating politics and global policy issues. Becoming a professor was the best opportunity to bring my passions together into one career, and obtaining a PhD was the only pathway. I am certainly happy with my choice.

I have absolutely no regrets about doing my PhD at NUS/LKYSPP. There are several reasons for this. First, in my program there was a tight connection between faculty and students, enabling me to be involved with research right from the start. It seemed more like an academic apprenticeship than just another degree. Second, the resources were fantastic – my department placed a high value on research and scholarly activity, and provided students with funding and opportunities to do both. Finally, the network I obtained is indispensable. Graduates of the program remain in close touch and I would say half or more of my collaborative work, even four years after completing the program, continues to be with my junior or senior peers, and professors, in the PhD program. We all share an understanding about the value of the network and help each other when needed. Even people from other schools know of and admire the network and the close connections graduates have with this program.

The RICE Framework for Sustainable Growth: Operationalizing New Asian Statism through Resilience, Innovation, and Civic Enterprise

My supervisor, Professor Michael Howlett, is an eminent scholar in the field and it was an honor and pleasure to work with him, and we continue to work together now. He has such a sharp mind, a keen ability to make connections among topics and ideas, and probably the deepest knowledge of the literature in my field of anybody around. But, most of all, when I selected my PhD supervisor and committee, my first priority was trust and reliability. Professor Michael Howlett, Professor Vu Minh Khuong, and Professor Yumin Joo were all exceedingly helpful, honest, and straightforward. They pushed me when needed and gave me the freedom to explore. I can honestly say that my PhD experience was challenging for all the right reasons (intellectual engagement) and for none of the wrong reasons (dramas and personal disagreements). All three committee members were only interested in my success, and I continue to work with all three even now – years after completing my degree. I think this alone is a testament to the quality of support I received at NUS.