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Shaun Seah
Naval Officer
Shaun Seah is a Naval Combat Officer currently serving in an operational squadron within the Naval Diving Unit. His background includes stints ashore at various key offices such as HQ RSN, Defence Policy Office in the Ministry of Defence, and the International Cyber Policy Office in the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. He has previous experience with tours at sea on board the Littoral Mission Vessels and Mine Countermeasure Vessels of the Maritime Security Task Force.
Shaun holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2020, and a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies from Columbia University in 2021. His educational journey also includes studying International Baccalaureate at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and GCE 'O' Levels at Maris Stella High School.
Throughout his career, Shaun Seah has been involved in various organizations and roles. He has been a Captain, Lieutenant, Combat Diver Leader, and more at the Republic of Singapore Navy. Additionally, he has served as a Young Leader at Pacific Forum, a Research Fellow at Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and held intern positions at Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, Ministry of Defence of Singapore, among others. His diverse experiences also extend to roles such as Project Manager, Marine Research Diver, Conservation Fundraiser, Student Consultant, and Director (Marketing) at different organizations.
Shaun's involvement in academic organizations and societies includes being a Committee Member at College Winter Ball, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, and Vice Chairman at Cadet Officer Council, Singapore National Cadet Corps. His educational background in history and regional studies, coupled with his practical experience in military and policy-related roles, showcases a well-rounded professional with a keen interest in defense, security, and international relations.
Highlights
It was a special National Day season this year as I had the chance this weekend to share my thoughts on “Singapore as an Island-Nation?” as part of The Birthday Book 2021: Are We There Yet? - launched today and immediately sold out!! Of course, bearing in mind that my little piece was nothing without many more late long nights and cold caffeine fueled mornings by our editors Cherie Lim-Tseng , Kuan Hian Tan and Shiqin 'Eddie' Choo. This yearly initiative by The Birthday Collective puts together an amazing anthology of passionate, driven voices from across Singapore to essentially write about whatever they so wished to commemorate our nation's birthday.
Watching today’s National Day Parade was especially poignant for many reasons but one thing that struck me above all was the animated sequence illustrating a young Zubir Said’s arrival in 1920s Singapore. If you watched it, you would have seen the young migrant from the Minangkabau highlands of West Sumatra gaze upon the old Fullerton Pier waterfront, seeing a city of opportunities, cosmopolitan ferment and a future to forge. And so did many others. Long before the present pandemic, Singapore was an island-city and - should history prove kind - will stand as an island-nation for long after this pandemic. These past few months back have been an amazing journey yet and everyday learning more about what it entails to be a Navigator and a Naval Officer is a constant reminder of this salient fact, if not from the chartwork then surely through the days and nights studying, analyzing and experiencing the sea.
Very glad to have been part of the journey and offer a vantage point about where we are headed to as a nation penned from the Singapore Strait.
Happy 56th National Day Singapore!
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Images reproduced from the National Archives of Singapore include an 1846 landscape of colonial Singapore by J.T. Thomson and a present-day chartlet illustrating the Singapore Strait jointly published by the UK Hydrographic Office and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
Making meaningful change happen and stick is something I have personally found wanting for the longest time. So imagine my surprise (read: panic!) when Aaron Maniam and Cherie Lim-Tseng suggested Nur Hazeem Abdul Nasser and I think of a way to jumpstart an entire Fellowship designed to teach precisely that.
As a student, “change-making” sounded like a high flying thing for accomplished, savvy and high performance folks. It intimidated me to take on leadership positions in school, often for fear of failing and showing myself as sorely not up to the mark. As a working adult, these self-limiting doubts continue to linger ever so often with the sense that yes I have some personal concerns, specific passions and ideas, but how can they ever make a tangible difference amidst the exigencies and realities of ordinary working and personal life?
Lucky for people that might relate, The Birthday Collective is looking for folks ready and able to level themselves up. In this initiative, the Collective is hoping to find several budding people (of all ages!) willing and ready to learn from those who’ve walked the path before over a one year programme including a structured workshop series and a guided capstone project.
Whether you’re passionate about the climate, the elderly, the young, the otters, or mental health - consider! If you’re someone who knows ways you’d like to make life on this little island city better in any conceivable way - you’re probably a good fit already. And if you’d like to find out more… take the first step, and come find out!
More info on the Fellowship: https://lnkd.in/gZEBQRn3
Sign up for the info session (22 Aug 21) here: https://lnkd.in/ghJb8pbi
