Island in the World: Singapore's Geopolitical DNA is a thoughtfully curated collection of Simon S C Tay's public commentaries, spanning from the mid-1990s to the present. Organised thematically, the book explores key issues shaping Singapore's engagement with the world and region in a time of geopolitical tension and tumult. While focused on the present and emerging events, he also considers the past and future.

More than just a compilation, this work weaves together reflections that provide deeper context, tracing how Singapore has evolved while certain fundamental principles endure. Tay connects past insights with recent developments, offering a perspective that is both grounded in history and attuned to the challenges of today.

Through these essays, Island in the World captures Singapore's journey in an ever-changing global landscape — while also charting the evolution of the author's own thinking over the decades.

About the Author

Simon S C Tay, LLM (Harvard), LLB Hons (NUS) is a public intellectual focusing on international and public affairs.

He chairs the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, a leading independent think tank in Asia. Simon is concurrently an associate professor in the National University of Singapore at both the Faculty of Law and the LKY School of Public Policy, and senior consultant with a major Singaporean law firm. He has taught at Harvard Law School, Yale University and the Fletcher School. In 2009, he was based at the Asia Society in New York City as the Schwartz Fellow and continues as the Society's Global Council co-chair.

A former Nominated Member of Parliament and chair of a major statutory board, Simon continues to serve as an ambassador for Singapore. He also initiated the Singapore Volunteers Overseas, the country's equivalent of the Peace Corps.

He has written or edited five books on international law and public policy and contributed to leading academic journals and newspapers. He has appeared on BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, and CNN, as well as spoken at major global forums, including the World Economic Forum (Davos) and the APEC CEO Summit.

He is also an award-winning author of stories and essays. Simon has received the Singapore Literature Prize and the 2019 Southeast Asia Write Award for his fiction and poetry.