02 August 2018
Speech by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, Chairman, RSIS Board Of Governors, at Thank-You Dinner for Mr Eddie Teo
Mr Eddie Teo and Mrs Teo
Ambassador Ong Keng Yong
Prof Joseph Liow
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me welcome all of you to this informal dinner.
We are gathered here to thank Eddie for his services to RSIS. Eddie took over as Chairman of the RSIS Board of Governors on 1 January 2009 from the late Dr Andrew Chew.
Since then, Eddie has led the Board in developing RSIS into an institution of distinction and international standing.
Today, RSIS is a leading think tank and professional graduate school of international affairs in Asia.
RSIS’ Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) was ranked the number one think tank for Southeast Asia and the Pacific in the University of Pennsylvania’s global survey of 2017.
RSIS commentaries and policy papers are read around the world.
And students from 69 countries including Singapore have passed through its portals.
Eddie’s association with RSIS goes back longer than the last ten years.
He also served as a member of the governing board of IDSS — the predecessor of RSIS — from 26 July 1996 to 30 June 2000, when he was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.
In that capacity, Eddie played an important role in helping to lay the foundations of IDSS during its early years.
With him as Permanent Secretary in MINDEF, money was available from the start to build the initial premises of IDSS and to fund its teaching, research and administration.
This financial support was crucial during the formative years of the fledgling Institute.
Eddie’s support for IDSS went beyond dollars and cents. He also jump-started the new Institute’s research and teaching capability by approving the transfer of several academics,
including Ang Cheng Guan, Kwa Chong Guan and Bernard Loo, from the SAFTI Military Institute’s Department of Strategic Studies to IDSS in 1997, and Kumar Ramakrishna, in 2000. These pioneers are still serving in RSIS.
I hope that we can continue to tap on Eddie’s huge reservoir of experience as he steps down from public service.
We will continue to send him RSIS publications and look forward to seeing him at our public lectures and seminars.
As we reflect on Eddie’s distinguished services, we should not forget his loving wife, Antonia.
Please join me in also thanking Antonia for providing Eddie with her strong support throughout his long and outstanding career.
Please join Mary and me in a toast to Eddie and Antonia. Thank you.
