Simon is a public intellectual focusing on Asia’s international relations, such as US-Asia relations, the global economy and issues of regionalization. He is concurrently the chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs think-tank, professor of international law at the National University of Singapore and Senior Consultant at the law firm, WongPartnership.

Simon serves on regional and international bodies, including the ASEAN network of institutes of strategic and international studies (ASEAN-ISIS), the ASEAN Regional Forum on security in the Asia Pacific, APEC and the WTO, and has coordinated a think-tank on Liveable Cities for Philips.

He has published internationally and taught at Harvard Law School, Yale and the Fletcher School. His 2009 book Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America was favourably reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. He has also written five books of stories and poems, including a Singapore Literature Prize novel, City of Small Blessings.

Simon has served as an independent, non-elected Member of the Singapore Parliament (1997-2001) and chaired the National Environment Agency (2002-08). He also initiated and ran Singapore Volunteers Overseas (1991-93) and led major Singapore public consultations including on the National Green Plan and the City Concept Plan.

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