Professor Tommy Koh

Former President, UN Conference on the Law of the Sea

Tommy KOH is currently an Ambassador-At-Large, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Emeritus Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is the Chairman of the International Advisory Panel of the Centre for International Law at the NUS and Special Adviser of the Institute of Policy Studies.

He had served as Dean of the Faculty of Law of NUS, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador to the United States of America, High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico. He was President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. He was also the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for and the Main Committee of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit). He was the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. He was the founding Chairman of the National Arts Council, founding Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation and former Chairman of the National Heritage Board. He had served as a director of DBS bank and Singtel and on the International Advisory Board of Toyota. He was Singapore’s Chief Negotiator in negotiating an agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Singapore and China. He was also Singapore’s Chief Negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. He acted as Singapore’s Agent in two legal disputes with Malaysia. He has chaired two dispute panels for the WTO. He was the founding Rector of the Tembusu College and founding Chairman of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at NUS.

Professor Koh had served as the founding co-chair of the India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, the China-Singapore Forum and the Japan-Singapore Symposium.

Professor Koh has received awards from the Governments of Singapore, Chile, Finland, France, Japan, Netherlands, Spain and the United States. Professor Koh received the Champion of the Earth Award from UNEP and the inaugural President’s Award for the Environment from Singapore. He was conferred with honorary doctoral degrees in law by Yale and Monash Universities. Harvard University conferred on him the Great Negotiator Award in 2014. Professor Koh has also received the Adinata Award from the Embassy of Indonesia in August 2024.

Professor Koh is the author or editor of 27 books. The 27th book is entitled, From the Land of the Rising Sun to the Lion City, the Story of Japan and Singapore.

Dr Rizal Sukma

Senior Fellow, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta

Rizal Sukma is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta. Previously, he was Indonesia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ireland and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), London, from 2016 to 2020. He joined CSIS in 1990 as a researcher and assumed the role of Executive Director in 2009 until 2015. Since January 2025, Dr. Sukma also serves as the Executive Chair of Indonesia’s National Commission for UNESCO. Since receiving a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 1997, he has worked extensively on such issues as Southeast Asian security, ASEAN, Indonesia’s defense and foreign policy, military reform, Islam and politics, and domestic political changes in Indonesia.

Dr Sukma was the first Indonesian to receive the Nakasone Award, in July 2005, and named one 100 Global Thinkers in 2009 by Foreign Policy magazine. In April 2024, he is also elected as a member of the International IDEA Advisory Board for 2024-2027.

He has published three books: Security Operations in Aceh: Goals, Consequences, and Lessons (Washington, DC: East-West Centre, 2004); Islam in Indonesia’s Foreign Policy (London: Routledge, 2003), and Indonesia and China: The Politics of A Troubled Relationship (London: Routledge, 1999).

Dr David Finkelstein

Vice President and Director, China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division, Center for Naval Analyses

David M. Finkelstein is a Vice President at the Center for Naval Analyses and director of CNA’s China & Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. A student of Asian security affairs, he brings years of experience from diverse vantage points—the US military and government, academia, and the international think tank community. At CNA, it has been his honor to render analytic support directly to the highest-serving US civilian and military officials, including a President of the United States. Formerly a career US Army officer, he is a graduate of West Point, the Command & General Staff College, US Army War College, and the US Army Airborne School. On active duty he held various command and staff positions in field units as well as multiple assignments in the Pentagon focused on Asia.

Finkelstein holds a PhD in Chinese and Japanese history from Princeton University and studied Mandarin at Nankai University in Tianjin, China. His publications include a full historical monograph (From Abandonment to Salvation: Washington’s Taiwan Dilemma, 1949-50), various edited volumes, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles. He served as a consultant and contributing author to the National Geographic Atlas of China. While on active duty he served on the faculty at West Point teaching Chinese history, Japanese history, and the history of warfare in Asia.

Dr Wu Shicun

Chairman, Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance; and Founding President and Chairman of Academic Committees, National Institute for South China Sea Studies

Wu Shicun is Chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, founding president, chairman of the academic committee and senior research fellow of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies. He also serves as chairman of the advisory board of Institute for China-America Studies(based in Washington, D.C.), member of Academic Committee of Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, and adjunct professor both of Nanjing University, and Xiamen University.

Dr. Wu has a PhD in history. His research interests cover the history and geography of the South China Sea, maritime delimitation, maritime economy, international relations and regional security strategy. His recent books include: The Origin and Development of the Nansha Disputes: A Study on the History of South China Sea Issue from a Country-Specific Perspective (Zhonghua Book Company, 2022), Hainan Free Trade Port: A Global Perspective (Guangdong People’s Publishing House, 2021), The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Asia and Europe (Routledge, 2019), South China Sea Law fare: Post-Arbitration Policy Options and Future Prospects (South China Sea Think Tank / Taiwan Center for Security Studies, 2017), Arbitration Concerning the South China Sea: Philippines versus China (Ashgate, 2016), UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the South China Sea (Ashgate, 2015), Non-Traditional Security Issues and the South China Sea-Shaping a New Framework for Cooperation (Ashgate, 2014), Recent Developments in the South China Sea Dispute: The Prospect of a Joint Development Regime (Routledge, 2014), Solving Disputes for Regional Cooperation and Development in the South China Sea: A Chinese perspective (Chandos Publishing, 2013). Dr Wu has published widely in academic journals and been the subject of frequent media interviews as a senior commentator on South China Sea, regional security issues, the Belt & Road Initiative and the development of Hainan Free Trade Port.

Dr Sarah Kirchberger

Academic Director, Institute for Security Policy, Kiel University

Sarah Kirchberger is Academic Director at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK) and Vice President of the German Maritime Institute (DMI). She was previously a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, an Assistant Professor of Sinology at Hamburg University and a naval analyst with shipbuilder TKMS. She is the author of Assessing China’s Naval Power: Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications (2015), co-author of The China Plan: A Transatlantic Blueprint for Strategic Competition (2021) and co-editor of Russia-China Relations: Emerging Alliance or Eternal Rivals? (2022). Her research focuses on China’s undersea warfare; PLAN modernization; Chinese defense-industrial development; and military-technological co-operation between China, Russia and Ukraine.

Kirchberger occasionally lectures at the German Armed Forces Command and Staff College and the NATO Defense College and has been invited to present at the US National Defense University, US Naval War College, US Army War College, ROC National Defense University and at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, UC Berkeley and Yale, among others. In 2023 she testified before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) on China’s undersea warfare. Kirchberger holds a MA and a PhD in Sinology from Hamburg University after studies in Hamburg, Taipei and Trier.

Professor Joseph Liow

Dean, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Prof Joseph Liow (Joseph Chinyong Liow) is Dean of College of Humanities, Arts, and Social
Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he is also Tan Kah Kee Chair in
Comparative and International Politics, and Professor and former Dean at the S. Rajaratnam School
of International Studies. He is also Chairman of the Middle East Institute, National University of
Singapore. He held the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings
Institution, Washington DC, where he was also a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Program.

Joseph’s research interests encompass Muslim politics and social movements in Southeast Asia
and the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the Asia-Pacific region.

Joseph is the author, co-author, or editor of 18 books, the most recent being Navigating Uncertainty:
Our Region in an Age of Flux (World Scientific 2024), Islam and Political Power in Indonesia and
Malaysia (Cambridge University Press Element Series 2022), and Dictionary of the Modern Politics
of Southeast Asia, fifth edition (Routledge, 2022). A regular columnist for the Straits Times, his
commentaries on international affairs have also appeared in New York Times, Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Policy, CNN, National Interest, Nikkei Asian Review, Wall Street Journal, and South China
Morning Post. He has testified to the United States Congress and been invited to deliver a special
closed door briefing to the ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting. In addition to scholarship and policy
analysis, Joseph has also consulted for a wide range of MNCs including Shell, BHP Billiton, Canon,
Chevron, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Temasek, Total, Global Dairy Platform, Evli,
and Equinor. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Experts and Eminent Persons
Group of the ASEAN Regional Forum, and sits on the board of several peer-reviewed academic
and policy journals. Joseph is also on the boards of the Social Science Research Council
(Singapore), ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and the National Arts Council.

He holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political
Science, an MSc in Strategic Studies from the Nanyang Technolog

Admiral Datuk (Dr) Zulhemy Bin Ithnain

Chief of Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy

Admiral Datuk (Dr.) Zulhelmy bin Ithnain was born on 2 January 1968 in Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur. He joined the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) as a Cadet Officer on 6 August 1986 and was commissioned two years later as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Executive Branch.

Throughout his 38 years of service, he has held various positions, both at sea and ashore. His previous appointments include Navigation Officer and Executive Officer onboard KD KRIS (Patrol Craft), Navigation and Gunnery Officer onboard KD GANYANG (Missile Boat), Gunnery Officer onboard KD PAUS (Fast Strike Craft), Research Officer in the RMN Maritime and Tactical Centre, Warfare Instructor at the Officers Training Centre and Principal Warfare Officer of the KD LEKIU (Frigate). He had also served in the RMN Submarine Nucleus Team as the Staff Officer Submarine and Staff Officer RMN Submarine Project at the RMN Headquarters before enrolling in the submarine course in France.

Admiral Datuk (Dr.) Zulhelmy completed several overseas courses, such as the Submarine Qualification Course at HMAS Platypus, Australia in 1993; the International Principal Warfare Officer Course at HMS Dryad, United Kingdom in 1996 and the Submarine Course at Brest, France from 2005 to 2009. During this course, he earned his command qualification aboard the Agosta Class Submarine before taking command of the Scorpene Class Submarine, KD TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN as well as the Squadron Leader of the 1st Submarine Squadron. He sailed the boat back to Malaysia from France, a historic journey that took almost two months. He had also served in various positions in the Submarine Force, including Commanding Officer of the RMN Submarine Training Centre, Chief of Staff of the Submarine Force Headquarters, Acting Submarine Force Commander and Submarine Force Commander. Additionally, he had also served as the Assistant Chief of Staff Development (J5) at the Joint Force Headquarters, Assistant Chief of Staff for Planning and Development (N5) at the RMN Headquarters, Commander of Naval Region 1 and President of the National Centre for Defence Studies (NCDS).

For his professional military education, he completed his Staff Course at the United States Naval War College, Rhode Island in 2002. He earned a Master Degree in National Security Administration from the National Defence College of the Philippines in 2012, where he also received an exceptional graduate award. He is also an alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) United Kingdom, which he attended in 2016.

Admiral Datuk (Dr.) Zulhelmy was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Navy on 11 August 2023 and later took over the helm as the Chief of Navy on 1 August 2024. He is married to Datin Zamzelina binti Ahmad and blessed with two children. Sport-wise, he is a keen golfer.

Rear Admiral Garin Golding

Chief of Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy

Rear Admiral (RADM) Garin Golding was born in Takapuna, New Zealand and joined the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as a Seaman Officer in January 1988.

RADM Golding assumed command as the Chief of Navy on 27 August 2024 following a number of senior positions within the New Zealand Defence Force, including his most recent post as the Maritime Component Commander.

Serving most of his formative years at sea before specialising as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer, he then undertook such roles as Staff Officer Diving, Commanding Officer of HMNZS MANAWANUI, and a two-year exchange with the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Diving Unit.

RADM Golding has held a number of shore based roles within the Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force and Joint Forces New Zealand, was Commander of the Deployable Joint Inter-Agency Task Force and the Director, Maritime Domain in Capability Branch.

Academic qualifications include a Master of Arts in International Security and Strategy (Distinction) from King’s College in London, Master of Strategic Studies from Victoria University, Wellington, and a Diploma in Applied Business. He has completed the Commander Joint Task Force course in Australia, the NZDF Advanced Command and Staff course (Distinction Pass) and one year of higher learning at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

RADM Golding has completed two operational tours in Bougainville and East Timor has been awarded two Chief of Navy commendations. He is also a recipient of a United States Navy and Marine Corps commendation.

Garin is married to Bronwyn, they have two adult daughters and enjoy hiking in the hills and mountains around Wellington.

Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda

Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy

Banagoda Arachchilage Kanchana Silan Priyanka Banagoda is a proud product of S. Thomas College and Bandarawela Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela. He joined the Sri Lanka Navy on 15th September 1989, completed the basic training in the Naval and Maritime Academy – Trincomalee (NMA) and received the commission in 1991. Considering the outstanding performance in the basic training, he was availed the opportunity to undergo the International Midshipman Course in Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK in the same year.

He completed the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course in Naval & Maritime Academy in 1994. Also, he completed the Anti-Submarine Warfare Specialization Course in the Indian Naval Ship Venduruthy, Kochi in India and the Defence Services Command and Staff Course (DSCSC), Mirpur in Bangladesh. He is an alumnus of the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia where he completed the Master of Maritime Policy Programme in 2019. In 2022, he completed the National Security & Strategic Studies Course in the National Defence College, Colombo. Also, he holds a Bachelor’s in Management Studies and the Master’s in Business Administration in Human Resources Management from the Open University of Sri Lanka.

During the service career that spans over 34 years, he had acquired a wide array experience at sea commanding many craft/ ships and shore establishments as well: 7 afloat and 3 ashore assignments to be specific. Additionally, he has twice served as an officer instructor in the Naval and Maritime Academy, in the Kotelawala Defence Academy and twice in the Defence Services Command and Staff College. He has also held key appointments i.e., Deputy Director Naval Training, Training Captain at NMA, Head of Training Team in DSCSC and Acting Director General Training at the Navy Headquarters (NHQ). Having completed four area commands; namely, South Eastern (Panama), North Central (Talaimannar), Northern (Kankesanthurai), Eastern (Trincomalee) and he assumed duties as the Chief of Staff on 16th August 2024. He is appointed as the 26th Commander of the Navy by His Excellency the President on 31st December 2024.

In recognition of bravery, unblemished character and services rendered to the motherland, he has been awarded with Rana Sura Padakkama and other service medals. Also, his services have been commended by the Commander of Navy for the arrest of multiple consignments of narcotics and three vessels along with crew during high seas operations conducted by SLNS Sayurala.

Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda is rendering services being an Associated Fellow in the Nautical Institute (UK) and was appointed as a Justice of Peace (Whole Island). His interests are racket games, travel, exploration, photography, reading and music. He is married to Anusha and blessed with a daughter and son.

Admiral Stephen T. Koehler

Commander, US Pacific Fleet, United States Navy

Adm. Steve Koehler grew up in a Navy Family and is a 1986 graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, where he was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). Designated a naval aviator in March 1989, he has flown over 3,900 hours in the F-14 Tomcat and F-18 Super Hornet with 600 carrier landings. He holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and is a graduate of the Joint Staff College and the Navy Nuclear Power Program

At sea, he served with Fighter Squadron (VF) 211, VF- 41; was executive officer aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), and commanded Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143; USS Bataan (LHD 5); USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); and Carrier Strike Group Nine. During these operational tours he supported Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi FFreedom, Inherent Resolve, Freedom’s Sentinel, Deliberate Guard, and Unified Protector in support of operations in the Middle East, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Libya, Operation Unified Response providing emergency disasterrelief to Haiti, and peer competition operations in the East and South China Seas.

Ashore, Koehler has served as an instructor pilot with VF-101, placement oat the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and chief of staff at Joint Task Force Horn of Africain Djibouti. As a flag officer, he served as director of Fleet Training at U.S. Fleet Forces Command; dirrector for Operations (J3), U.S. Indo Pacific Command; deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, and director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, Joint Staff. He assumed command ofU.S. Pacific Fleet on April 4, 2024

Professor Geoffrey Till

S. Rajaratnam Professor of Strategic Studies; and Advisor, Maritime Security Programme, RSIS

Geoffrey Till is currently the S. Rajaratnam Professor of Strategic Studies at the RSIS, Singapore. He is also Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies at King’s College London. He was Dean of Academic Studies at the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College 1997-2006.He held the Dudley W. Knox Chair for Naval History and Strategy at the US Naval War College 2018-2023 and is now a Non-Resident Research Fellow at its Hattendorf Historical Center.

Geoffrey Till is author of over about 400 books, chapters and articles. His Understanding Victory: Naval Operations from Trafalgar to the Falklands was published by ABC-Clio in 2014 and his How to Grow a Navy: The Development of Maritime Power was published by Routledge in 2022. With John Hattendorf, he edited Recovering Naval Power: Henry Maydman and the Revival of the Royal Navy (Routledge, 2023). He is now working on a 5th edition of his Seapower: A Guide for the 21st Century Seapower, first published by Routledge in 2005.

Rear-Admiral S.M. Waddell

Deputy Commander, Royal Canadian Navy

Rear Admiral Steven Waddell grew up on Lake Temagami, Northern Ontario and found a natural fit with the Royal Canadian Navy. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Manitoba; Master’s Degrees from King’s College London, UK and Salve Regina University, USA; and is a graduate of both the United Kingdom’s Joint Services Command and Staff College, and the United States Naval War College.

His command tours include the frigates HMCS Charlottetown and HMCS Fredericton; Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt; and U.S. Second Fleet (Norfolk) as Vice Commander where he also established the Fleet as a Maritime Component Command for NATO.

Rear Admiral Waddell’s operational sea tours include deployments to the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Adriatic Sea and the waters adjacent to the Horn of Africa and Korean peninsula. Missions included United Nations sanctions enforcement against Iraq and the former Yugoslavia, counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf region and piracy disruption patrols in the Indian Ocean. Highlights were circumnavigating the globe in HMCS Calgary as the ship’s navigator, deploying with staff in the USS Constellation Carrier Strike Group, and leading a NATO fleet as MCC for Steadfast Defender 21.

Ashore, Rear Admiral Waddell served on the west coast as Senior Navigation Instructor at the Naval Officer Training Centre, and as Operations Officer with Sea Training Group (Pacific). In NDHQ, he served as the Director of Naval Strategy, as Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) at Joint Operations Command, and was appointed to the Chief of the Defence Staff Initiative Group. Flag appointments included Director General Naval Strategic Readiness; Vice Commander U.S. Second Fleet; and most recently as Deputy Commander, Royal Canadian Navy.

Leitender Polizeidirektor Nils von Waaden

Head, Department for Maritime Security, German Federal Police

Complementary to managing land borders, the Federal Police are also responsible for protecting the European external borders on the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the Federal Police are responsible for maritime policing tasks, including the protection of critical infrastructure at sea, environmental protection and the monitoring of research activities in the German Exclusive Economic Zone. Maritime tasks also include prevention and criminal investigations.

For the past 6 years, the Federal Police Department for Maritime Security performed an active role in the Aegean Sea as part of the Frontex Operational Activity Poseidon.

Nils von Waaden is the Head of the Federal Police Department for Maritime Security, based in Neustadt in Holstein. Born in 1972, he joined the Federal Police in 1995. He later studied at the Federal University and at the University of Hagen, graduating with a master’s degree and a diploma. From 2016 to 2021, he was assigned to the Federal Ministry of Interior, responsible for maritime security related matters. Mr von Waaden was appointed Deputy Head of the unit “Command and Operational Matters of the Federal Police”. During this period, he was also participating in the MARSEC working group of the European Commission.

As deputy representative of the President of the Federal Police Directorate Bad Bramstedt, his responsibilities include cooperation with national and international maritime partners.

He represents Germany in the European Coast Guard Function Forum (ECGFF) and North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF).

Furthermore, the Federal Police Department for Maritime Security is the German Focal Point of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

Vice Admiral Erwin S. Aldedharma

Vice Chief of the Indonesian Navy

Vice Admiral Erwin S. Aldedharma was born in 1970 in Surabaya. He has traversed a remarkable path of naval leadership
and academic excellence.

Vice Admiral Aldedharma’s military education commenced in 1988 when he joined the Naval Academy, graduating in 1991 as part
of the 37th batch. Over the years, he underwent various specialized education, including Officer Advanced Courses, and Naval Staff and Command College. Notably, he enriched his knowledge with international experiences, attending programs in Australia and the United States, including J.O.S.S. Course (Australia), Military Cooperation Course (Australia), the U.S. Naval Staff College and the U.S. National War College.

Beyond Vice Admiral Aldedharma’s military duties, he has actively contributed to national and international maritime initiatives. He participated in various seminars and workshops on maritime law enforcement, defense management, and security cooperation, enhancing his expertise in these critical domains.

Vice Admiral Aldedharma’s educational journey reflects his commitment to continuous learning and professional development. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Management Economics from Krisnadwipayana University in 2013, followed by two Master’s degrees – one in Management in 2015 and another in National Security Strategy from the USA in 2016. These academic achievements laid a solid foundation for his illustrious career ahead.

Vice Admiral Aldedharma’s illustrious career is marked by a series of distinguished appointments both in Staff and Commands. He served in key positions aboard vessels such as Assistant Division Officer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer, in several naval vessels. His leadership prowess was further demonstrated in roles such as Commander of Palembang Naval Base, Commander of the Amphibious Squadron of Eastern Fleet Command, Commander of the Sea Battle Task Force of the Second Fleet Command, Vice Assistant to the Chief of the Indonesian Navy for Planning and Budgeting, and Commander of the Military Sea Lift Command.

Throughout his career, Vice Admiral Aldedharma has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Bintang Dharma, Bintang Yudha Dharma Pratama, Bintang Jalasena Pratama, and Military Service Medals for 8th, 16th, and 24th years of
dedication, among others. These decorations underscore his dedication and exemplary service to the Indonesian Navy.

In 2023, Vice Admiral Aldedharma assumed the pivotal role of Commander of the First Fleet Command, followed by his appointment as Commander of the First Joint Defense Region of the Indonesian National Defence Forces Headquarters. His leadership at these strategic levels underscores his commitment to safeguarding Indonesia’s maritime interests and fostering regional defense cooperation.

In October 2023, Vice Admiral Aldedharma was appointed as the Vice Chief of the Indonesian Navy, a testament to his exceptional leadership and vast experience in naval operations and strategy. His journey epitomizes unwavering dedication, exemplary leadership, and relentless pursuit of excellence, making him a beacon of inspiration within the Indonesian Navy and beyond.

Vice Admiral Aldedharma is happily married to Mrs. Ketty Tiffany Wulandari, and blessed with two sons and a daughter.

Admiral Saito Akira

Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

MAR 2006 CO, JS ISOYUKI
MAR 2007 Staff of Fleet Escort Force
JUL 2008 U.S Naval War College : NCC
JUL 2009 Staff of Plans and Programs Division, MSO
JUL 2010 Chief of Plans and Programs Section, Plans and Programs Division, MSO AUG 2011 Commander, Escort Division Fourteen
JUL 2012 Director of Education Division, MSO AUG 2013 Director of Assignment Division, MSO AUG 2014 Commander, Escort Flotilla One
JUL 2016 Chief of Staff, Commander Fleet Escort Force
AUG 2017 Superintendent MSDF Officer Candidate School
AUG 2018 Director General of Operations and Plans Department
AUG 2020 Commander, Fleet Escort Force
DEC 2021 Vice Chief of Staff, MSO
DEC 2022 Commander in Chief, Self Defense Fleet JUL 2024 Present Assignment

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong

Executive Deputy Chairman of RSIS

As Executive Deputy Chairman of RSIS in NTU since 2014, Ambassador Ong is now concurrently Director of Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) and Head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at RSIS. He is also Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran. Since 2019, he is Chairman of Humanity Matters, a non-profit humanitarian organisation based in Singapore, which is also focused on inter-faith understanding and volunteerism

After diplomatic postings at Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the USA, and as High Commissioner to India (1996-1998), Ambassador Ong was Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Goh Chok Tong from 1998 to 2002. He served as Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, Indonesia, for five years from January 2003. He headed the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore from 2008 to 2011 before appointed as Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia (2011-2014).