In his book *Living the Asian Century*, the veteran diplomat recounts how a daring request resulted in an extraordinarily generous donation to his school.
Veteran Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani has shared his memoirs in *Living the Asian Century*, offering an insightful account of his life as one of Singapore's most prominent envoys and public intellectuals on the global stage. His journey, as he describes it, is one "from poverty to plenty," a narrative that traces his evolution from a frail child with aspirations of becoming a textile salesman to the esteemed founding dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. At 75 years old, Mahbubani paints a vivid portrait of the numerous opportunities that shaped his life in a rapidly developing Singapore.
In this excerpt, the second of three from his memoir, Mahbubani reflects on his efforts to secure funding for the school, illustrating the boldness and strategic thinking that have characterized his career.
"In my early years as dean, I had the privilege of meeting personally with Lee Kuan Yew to discuss the school’s progress. During one such conversation, we concurred that it would be prudent to approach Li Ka-shing, Asia’s wealthiest man and a Hong Kong business magnate, to seek his support for the school. Mr. Lee graciously agreed to provide a letter of introduction, which was succinctly crafted in three short paragraphs. The first paragraph introduced me to Mr. Li, the second expressed the school's desire to name a building in his honor, and the third, in a characteristically direct manner, stated, ‘We hope you will make an appropriate contribution.’
I consulted the NUS Development Office to gauge how much we should request from Mr. Li. They cautioned me against making an overly ambitious request and suggested a figure of S$30 million. With the Ministry of Education providing a matching grant, this would result in a S$60 million increase to the school’s endowment. However, I decided to conduct my own research on Mr. Li’s philanthropic history and discovered that his largest donation had been HK$1 billion (approximately S$200 million) to Hong Kong University. Trusting my instincts and without seeking further counsel, I made the bold decision to request S$100 million from Mr. Li."
Mahbubani’s reflections not only capture the essence of his diplomatic acumen but also highlight the pivotal moments that have defined his remarkable career. His memoir offers a valuable perspective on leadership, strategy, and the profound impact of seizing opportunities with courage and conviction.
Li Ka-shing shares a relaxing moment with Lee Kuan Yew at the opening ceremony of the Li Ka Shing Library at the Singapore Management University in 2006. Photo: Li Ka Shing Foundation
Ambassador Toh Hock Ghim, our Consul General in Hong Kong, and I entered the office of Li Ka-shing, carrying with us a letter from Lee Kuan Yew. I had meticulously prepared a thirty-minute presentation, highlighting the merits of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, which I intended to deliver once Mr. Li had finished reading the letter. As he read, I sat at the edge of my seat, ready to begin. But to my surprise, Mr. Li suddenly turned to me and asked, “How much?” Without hesitation, I responded, “One hundred million dollars.” He followed up with, “Singapore or Hong Kong?” I replied, “Singapore.” He frowned, then turned to his assistant, Amy Au, and began conversing with her in Cantonese. Not understanding what they were saying, I braced myself for the worst.
To my astonishment, after just three minutes of discussion, Mr. Li extended his hand towards me and said, “OK.” I was stunned. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined securing such an enormous sum so quickly and decisively. In just three minutes, I had raised S$100 million. Even for prestigious institutions like Yale and Harvard, securing such a donation typically requires weeks or even months of negotiations. This remarkable success was undoubtedly due to the influence of the letter from Mr. Lee.
This triumph with Mr. Li inspired me to aim even higher in my fundraising efforts. On the fifth anniversary of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, we set an initial target of raising S$5 million. To our delight, we exceeded this goal, raising an impressive S$33 million. By the time I stepped down as dean in December 2017, the school’s endowment had grown to over S$500 million.
Fundraising is inherently challenging; asking individuals to part with their money is never easy. Yet, this was not the most difficult aspect of my role as dean. The most formidable challenge was elevating the academic standing of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to be recognized as one of the leading institutions in the world. It is well known that great academic institutions are not built overnight; the most renowned universities have histories spanning centuries. Oxford was established in 1096 or earlier, and Harvard in 1636.
This excerpt is from *Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir* by Kishore Mahbubani, published by PublicAffairs, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. The book is available at local bookstores.
