ADB and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Sign Milestone Agreement

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a milestone agreement with the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy that will establish closer ties between the two institutions through the transfer of information, knowledge and staff.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda and the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Professor Kishore Mahbubani, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that formalizes a long association of knowledge sharing between the two institutions.

"Today marks a milestone occasion for both the Lee Kuan Yew School and the ADB," said Mr. Kuroda, speaking at the signing ceremony in Singapore. "With further exchange of ideas and information, both the Lee Kuan Yew School and ADB will have opportunities to make important contributions to the development of the Asia Pacific region."

The MoU provides for the secondment of an ADB staff member as an ADB Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, staff members will be invited to be resource speakers for the other institution, and programs and other initiatives will also be undertaken. The collaboration programs will include public policy, public management and public administration. The research programs will also promote public management, good governance, knowledge management, and sustainable development.

"We are pleased to enter into this memorandum of understanding with the ADB which focuses primarily on an exchange of talent and expertise," said Professor Mahbubani.

"The Lee Kuan Yew School views the ADB as a key partner and I am certain that the exchanges of personnel will be mutually beneficial as they help to enrich the content of our programs and significantly broaden the impact of our work. We hope that through these efforts we will find synergies in our overall effort to boost good governance in the region.”

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy was established in 2004 with the mission of educating and training the next generation of Asian policymakers and leaders. Its objectives are to raise the standards of governance throughout the region, improve the lives of the region’s people and, in so doing, contribute to the transformation of Asia.(EOM)