Aditad Vasinonta has been deeply interested in all sorts of mechanical systems ever since he could remember. He, therefore, made his academic choice into engineering. After completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he joined the Department of Industrial Promotion, Ministry of Industry, Thailand. At the early stage of his career, he worked as an engineer to promote metal-working and machinery industries. After working for two years, he was offered a scholarship and he chose to further his engineering studies at the Carnegie Mellon University. Rejoining the Ministry of Industry after his Ph.D. graduation in 2002 was very exciting. Throughout the 8 years at this ministry, he has been working on several new initiatives such as industrial cluster development and business service development. In 2008, he was selected as the Outstanding Government Official and received an award from the Prime Minister of Thailand.

Aside from his official work, Aditad has also served as the Secretary General of the Asian Packaging Federation, an international organization comprising 14 Asian member countries, for 4 years during 2007 – 2010. In addition, he has taught courses in mechanical engineering at Thammasat University and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand.

After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in the Science stream from the Open University of Sri Lanka, Biyanka Niroshani Gamage joined the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) in 2000. Since then she has been groomed on a progression path touring various sectors in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance. To develop her career path, Biyanka has enrolled with the Master in Public Management (MPM) programme at the LKY School of Public Policy. Biyanka takes care to balance her lifestyle by travelling and playing badminton.

Chen Jiebin comes from Beijing, China. Born and bred in the Fujian province, he received his university education from Fudan University in Shanghai, and then joined the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before attending the MPM programme, he worked for 15 years across various countries including Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. His current post is Deputy Division Director of the Administrative Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MPM programme at the LKY School of Public Policy and Harvard Kennedy School has given him the rare opportunity to learn from some of the prestigious scholars in public policy and international affairs and exchange ideas with friends from different countries. He hopes the one year full-time study will enrich his knowledge, broaden his horizons, sharpen his ideas and improve his capacity of resolving practical problems.

After obtaining a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University, Lee Su Peng joined the Singapore Police Force. Since joining, Su Peng has accumulated vast experiences in various aspects of police work such as criminal investigation, technology, frontline policing, maritime policing, major operations planning and was seconded to the Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Prime Minister’s Office in the two years immediately prior to joining the Master in Public Management programme in LKY School of Public Policy. Su Peng is an avid golfer as a sport as well as for its networking opportunities. He also runs and work out in the gym often to keep a high level of fitness, which is an important aspect of being a policeman.

Mahendra Jain, an officer of the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, is currently pursuing Master in Public Management at LKY School of Public Policy in Singapore. His special assignments at LKY are in diverse fields such as Sugar Policy in India, and comparative study of Solid Waste Management in Singapore and lessons for Indian cities. A Gold-medalist in Literature from Karnataka University, he went on to do post-graduation in Management from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad before joining the civil service.

He has served for over 25 years in various assignments within the civil service, both with the federal government in Delhi & in London on deputation, and with the state government of Karnataka in Bangalore and other parts of the state. Some of his previous assignments include, amongst others, Private Secretary to Prime Minister of India; Secretary Industries & Commerce Government of Karnataka; Special Commissioner City Corporation of Bangalore; Tourism Commissioner of Karnataka; Project Administrator World Bank-aided Health Systems Development Project; Managing Director of Food & Civil Supplies Corporation, Tourism Development Corporation, & Mysore Minerals Limited; Director Tea Board of India in Indian High Commission in London; District Collector & District Magistrate of Karwar & Hassan districts. He has served as Election Observer on behalf of Election Commission of India in several general elections in India.

His areas of interest include Urban Planning and Civic administration, Tourism, and Industries & Commerce. His other interests include yoga, swimming, tennis, travel, reading and meeting people from all walks of life.

A political science graduate from the National University of Singapore, Farouk distinguished himself early during his undergraduate years and was placed on the Dean’s List. He was an intern at Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs during his undergraduate days and was commended for his contribution during his stint there. His passion for the values of public service led him to start his career in the Ministry of Manpower where he oversees the management of foreign manpower in Singapore. Describing his job as “challenging”, Farouk finds fulfillment in this arena as it suits his personality of being driven and he values accomplishment. Besides integrity and hard work, he believes in having the passion in what you are doing. Having the passion for something would allow you to go that extra mile and excel in it.

He is currently under the Ministry’s scholarship to pursue the Master in Public Management programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He believes that by participating in this programme, it will allow him to access to the considerable advanced concepts, practical tools and skills that would be necessary to lead effectively in today’s knowledge-based global economy.

Although work consumes the majority of his time, he believes in prioritizing what is important to him at this stage of his life. He enjoys trying out new things and has tried a variety of activities ranging from go-karting to mountain skiing and is also an ardent soccer player.

Nguyen Quynh Trang comes from Hanoi, Vietnam. Before joining the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, she worked in the Economic Affairs Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director of Economic Policy Research Division. She was responsible for briefings on economic issues and Vietnam’s participation in the international forums including the World Economic Forum, G20 Summits. Trang interpreted for Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam on various occasions in Davos, Toronto and Seoul G20 Summits, and was the escort interpreter to HM The Queen of Denmark during the Danish state visit to Vietnam in November 2009. The Master of Public Management programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Harvard Kennedy School enable Trang to acquire valuable knowledge and experience in public policy and management which would be valuable for the next stage in her career. In a small class of 19 classmates from 10 different countries, Trang appreciates the wonderful opportunity to share the experience and develop life-long friendships.

As a Guards Officer with the Singapore Armed Forces, Patrick Ong has been serving with the Ministry of Defence since 1999 and has held several key appointments ranging from command, instructional to staff work nature. Upon his graduation from the United States Army Command and General Staff Course in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 2007, he commanded a Guards Battalion, and later assumed the leadership of the Wing Commander in the Officer Cadet School. Prior to his graduate study in Master in Public Management at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Patrick was the Head of General Staff in the Formation Headquarters, responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting training and exercises to ensure operational readiness of the Formation and her sub-units. Patrick believes that his education at the LKY School and Harvard Kennedy School will allow him to gain a better appreciation of public leadership and good governance. For a balanced lifestyle, Patrick engages in fitness activities like swimming, running and scuba-diving. He is also someone who believes living to be his best in the race of life.

Praveer Ranjan is currently pursuing his Masters in Public Management at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. He was born in the state of Jharkhand in the eastern part of India and pursued his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Social Sciences at the University of Delhi. He was selected for the Indian Police Service in 1993 and has served in the Government of India for over 17 years. He was allotted to the Union Territories Cadre and served in various capacities in Delhi and Arunachal Pradesh. He worked as Superintendent of Police in Arunachal Pradesh in the districts of Upper and West Siang and as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police in various field assignments from 1995 to 2005.He also did his Masters in Police Management from the Osmania University, Hyderabad in 1995. In 2006, he joined as Superintendent of Police in the Central Bureau of Investigation (Anti-Corruption Bureau) at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and is presently serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police at CBI (Head Quarters) in Delhi with Anti-Corruption as the area of specialization.

He has had the privilege to represent India in the Indo- U.K Police Conference at Liverpool, United Kingdom in 2003, SAARC Interior Ministers’ Conference at Islamabad, Pakistan in 2010 and the Interpol General assembly at Doha, Qatar in 2010. He has also attended a UNDP training course on ‘Community Policing’ at Singapore in 2002 and UNODC training program on ‘Human trafficking’ at Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) at Samarang, Indonesia in 2007.

He looks forward to his stay at the LKY School as an enriching learning experience and revisit the priorities in life and also an opportunity to share thoughts on varied interests with colleagues from different countries.

Rohaizi is an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer in the Malaysian Civil Service. He read law and graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1998. He was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1999. He was then appointed to the Malaysian Civil Service in April 2000. His main exposure in the civil service is in the area of immigration security and policy affairs where he worked for 9 years in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Immigration. Prior to joining the MPM programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, he was posted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries and assumed the responsibility of handling international trade negotiations related to agriculture, sanitary and phyto-sanitary matters.

Wan Rosliza read law and graduated from Queen Mary, University of London in 1996. She was appointed to the Malaysian Civil Service in 2005 as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer. Her first posting was to the Public Service Commission, dealing with recruitment, disciplinary action and promotion. She then joined the Ministry of Education, managing awards of scholarship and sponsorship. Before joining the MPM programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, she assumed the responsibility of managing federal land development for land, maritime and aviation public transportation at the Ministry of Transport. Prior to her engagement with the civil service, she was a manager at the Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia in the Equity Division during and after the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

Rowena Tan is the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 121 of Caloocan City, Metro Manila. She adjudicates both criminal and civil cases. Prior to her designation to RTC Caloocan, she presided over the Regional Trial Court, Branch 42 of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, Philippines.

She started her legal career in the Philippine Supreme Court where she clerked with several Associate Justices of the High Court who trained her to work well and who inspired her to dedicate her professional life to serving the public to the best of her ability.

Rowena took up a Master of Laws in Child Protection in Brunel University, West London, England as a British Chevening Scholar. She also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in International Law and Organizations for Development at the Institute of Social Studies (ERASMUS), the Hague, the Netherlands through a grant from the Netherlands Fellowships Programme. She obtained her law degree (Juris Doctor) from the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Saqib Ali Ateel is from Punjab, Pakistan. He pursued his first Masters Degree in English Literature in 1990. He also pursued a Bachelors degree in Law as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication. He started his career as a news reporter of a local English daily but in 1991 joined Punjab Civil Service (PCS). Here, he worked as Extra Assistant Commissioner while enjoying powers of a Magistrate First Class. During his 19 years of official duties, he worked in different capacities including Deputy District Officer (Revenue), District Monitoring Officer and District Officer Coordination. Prior to joining the Master of Public Management (MPM) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, he served as District Officer Revenue and Administrator of a local body. He considers the MPM programme an opportunity for personal grooming in addition to enhancing his professional skills in the field of management. He feels that interaction with officer from a dozen countries is a unique experience, further enhanced by the semester at Harvard Kennedy School.

Von Hernandez is the Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GPSEA), leading the environmental group’s programmes and operations in the Southeast Asian region. Previously, he served as Campaigns Director for the organization, and was responsible for driving the group’s campaigns in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines on a number of issues including climate change, forests, sustainable agriculture and toxic pollution.

An environmental activist for more than 20 years, Von initiated and led a number of campaigns in the Philippines including the approval of landmark laws like the Ecological Waste Management Act and the Clean Air Act. He also spearheaded campaigns to rehabilitate the Pasig River as well as efforts to clean-up toxic sites in former US military bases in the country. He founded and spearheaded various environmental coalitions at the national and international levels including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Waste Not Asia, Lakbay Kalikasan, the Ecowaste coalition and the Sagip Pasig Movement.

In 2003, Von was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work which led to the first national ban on waste incineration. The Goldman Prize is considered to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for grassroots environmental activists. Being the first Prize recipient from the Philippines, Asia Inc. magazine named him as one of Asia’s young movers and shakers in 2004. In 2007, he was also included in Time Magazine’s Heroes for the Environment, joining other innovative and influential protectors of the environment like Al Gore and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai. More recently, Von was listed among the top 20 most trusted Filipinos by Reader’s Digest in its nationwide Trust Poll in 2010.

Wang Xiaoying comes from China and her work in Beijing primarily revolves around conducting research on international media, Southeast and South Asia studies and religious issues. She received her Bachelors degree in Sociology and Masters degree in International Relations at Peking University.

After 13 years of working with the International Department of Chinese Communist Party, Central Committee, she has returned to campus to renew her intellectual rigour. It is a great honour for her to join the distinguished MPM programme at the LKY School of Public Policy and Kennedy School of Government. She is proud to have met the future leaders of Asia on her course - her interactions with them have left an indelible impression on her. As government and non-governmental officials, she feels they have shown the vitality and confidence of Asian people. She hopes to learn as much as possible from the faculty from both schools as well as develop a deeper understanding of her fellow course mates so that she can contribute to her home country in the future.

Wu Jian started his diplomatic career in 1995 after gaining his undergraduate diploma in English literature from Sichuan University, China. Ever since then, he has devoted himself to foreign services for 15 years, gaining vast experiences in international affairs. Being a diplomat, he has had several opportunities to experience diverse cultures and interact with different people. This has broadened his vision and deepened his thought. He was posted to the Chinese Consulate General in Alexandria of Egypt from 1997-1998, and later to the Consulate in San Francisco of USA from 2002-2007. From an Islamic world to the Western world, before and after September 9-11’, he listened to different views about the world, and truly understood what diversity means. In the mean time, the fast changing nature of China has encouraged him to reflect on what diplomacy really means and what China’s new position should be. Studying at the LKY School of Public Policy and Kennedy Government School will provide him a perfect opportunity to refresh his intellectual capacity mid-career.

Prior to joining the Master in Public Management programme at the LKY School of Public Policy, Wu Jian was Deputy Director of Centre for Consular Assistance and Protection, Ministry of Foreign Affair of China. He loves sports and makes friends through games in tennis, badminton and golf. In diplomacy, he feels that there is no eternal friendship between nations, only permanent interests. But in his personal life, he seeks true friendship rather than permanent interests.

After obtaining a Bachelors degree in English language literature at the Chinese PLA Foreign Language Institute, Yang Xi began her career in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Having served in the army for 9 years, Yang Xi then left to pursue a career within the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce (SFIC). She is now the Director of the International Department of SFIC. Her role entails the cultivation of international partners for Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Dynamic and innovative SMEs in China are an important factor for further Chinese economic development. Yang Xi realizes the challenge of her job and believes that the MPM programme at the LKY School will help her in this regard. An extrovert, Yang Xi enjoys music and travel.

Zacky became a partner of Ali Budiardjo, Nugroho, Reksodiputro (ABNR), one of Indonesia’s largest private law firm, in January 2007. Before joining ABNR he was Director of Law Programs for the Jakarta office of The Asia Foundation, a US based foundation aimed at furthering co-operation between the US and Asia. In the 5 ½ years that he was with the Foundation, Zacky developed many sections of the Foundation’s law program, with particular emphasis on judicial reform. Prior to joining The Asia Foundation, Zacky practiced with the Indonesian law firm of Soewito, Suhardiman, Eddymurthy & Kardono (SSEK). During this period, he also spent a year as a foreign associate with Mayer, Brown & Platt (now: Mayer, Brown LLP) in Chicago, Illinois.

Zacky’s main practice areas are banking, natural resources, structured finance/derivatives, antitrust, and general commercial matters; assisting clients with mergers & acquisitions and advisory works. He has been ranked by Chambers Asia as one of Indonesia’s leading lawyer in banking & finance for 2008-2010.

Zacky has a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia with Economic Laws as his major (1992), and an LLM in Common Law Studies from Georgetown University Law Center (1994). During the summer of 1999, Zacky took courses on Political Economy of Development from the London School of Economics, and in September 2002 completed courses on Effective Local Governance from the RAND Graduate School in Santa Monica, California. Zacky is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Center for Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), a leading research and advocacy institution in the field of law that focuses on legislative and judicial reforms.

Born and bred in Shandong province, China, Zhao Ming obtained his Bachelors degree from the Petroleum University of China. He then worked in the Dongying municipal planning commission for 9 years. During his tenure there, he was mainly responsible for management of budget investment. In 1997, Zhao Ming was appointed the deputy head of Hekou district government and then worked there for 10 years. Following this, he pursued a short stint at the Bureau of Science and Technology for about 2 years.

During the 21 years of his career of spanning different departments of local government, he accumulated a wide range of practical grass roots public management experience and made significant more contributions for the betterment of the public. Zhao Ming’s recent role prior to joining the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy was at the Shandong Agricultural Administrator’s College as a Vice Governor. He cherishes this opportunity of studying the MPM programme and hopes to fully utilize the chance to achieve his potential and practice the value of self-actualization. His motto: constantly strive to become stronger, at the same time, be disciplined and don’t neglect social commitments.