Compilation of past and present engagements
Durham University Foreign Affairs Society
September 2023 – June 2024
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Founder and Co-President
• Founded and led Durham’s first society to enhance student-professional connectivity through discussion and networking events on world affairs
• Hosted 7 high-impact events within 20 weeks featuring eminent figures such as the High Commissioner of Singapore, the Ambassador of Luxembourg, a
Mayor from the West Bank, Palestine, as well as esteemed Senior Political Advisors, Professors and Doctoral Researchers
• Oversaw 10 team members to launch events and share weekly news updates, gaining 120+ members and 470+ Instagram followers in 20 weeks
• Optimised a limited budget by securing grants from organisations and partnering with local vendors, sponsoring travel and accommodation for guest speakers
Shadow World Investigations
June 2023 – March 2024
📍London, United Kingdom
Research Intern
• Leveraged military-acquired open-source techniques to produce comprehensive analyses of international arms deals, humanitarian aid and 2 geopolitical crises, advancing efforts to expose systemic corruption in the global arms trade
• Synthesised and validated extensive databases on international trade and armed conflicts for a forthcoming publication, focused on the involvement of international governments and corporations in perpetuating conflict
Durham Refugee Kids Club
October 2022 – June 2024
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Co-Project Leader
• Led a team of 20+ volunteers to organise weekly sports, games and arts sessions for 40+ refugees aged 3–13, enhancing their interpersonal skills
• Established a partnership with 5 female refugees to organise 4 events, raising SGD 5000+ / 8400 GBP to support their financial needs
Elvet Bridge Establishments
October 2022 – June 2023
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Marketing and Sponsorship Representative
• Spearheaded 7 strategic partnerships with college and university-wide fashion show events, collaborations aided in over SGD 840,000 / 500,000 GBP raised for various charitable organisations
• Designed merchandise and leveraged social media and in-person direct selling marketing techniques to boost sales, generating over SGD 1600+ / 1000 GBP in sales
• Organised an event to grow awareness of the newest restaurant and employed social media marketing techniques to attract customers, responsible for more than 70% of all sales from the shift
180 Degrees Consulting Society
October 2022 – June 2023
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Marketing Manager and Project Consultant
• Managed the social media presence and promoted consulting projects to potential members, boosting engagement by over 130%
• Developed a comprehensive report and project presentation over a 10-week period, addressing key challenges for an NGO client
Durham University Negotiation Society
October 2022 – June 2023
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Sponsorship Officer
• Organised weekly negotiation workshops for 50+ members, incorporating simulated debates on topics ranging from international relations to contract law
• Recruited 5+ external speakers and sponsors for events and competitions from the legal and consulting industries
The Next Century Foundation – UN Special Consultative Organisation
June 2022 – September 2022
📍Remote
Research Officer
• Mediated negotiations during official UN Side Meetings, creating neutral forums for dialogue and fostering trust among global representatives to address conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, advancing the organisation’s mission of inclusive diplomacy and conflict resolution
• Delivered an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council’s 51st Session on arbitrary detentions and infringements on human rights laws in Myanmar, amplifying global advocacy for justice and accountability
• Researched and published 4 articles on global crises and supported research for UN written reports, reinforcing the organisation’s UN Special Consultative status through impartial, fact-based contributions
• Created a charity-run campaign to raise 650+ GBP for a project to promote conflict mediation and reconciliation efforts focused on the Middle East
Articles written:
1. Sri Lanka: The Rise and Fall of the Rajapaksa Family
2. Ukraine War: The Russian Perspective
3. Promoting Peace in Ukraine
4. Arbitrary Detention in Myanmar
Meetings organised:
1. Mercy and Justice in a Sufism perspective
2. The Kosovo Question
3. UN Side Meeting on Ukraine and Russia
4. UN Side Meeting on Palestine and Israel
5. Healing the Nations Conference
a) Cosmopolitanism: A New Ideology for Peace
b) Jerusalem: Fact, Faith and Future
c) Lebanon: When Crises Collide
d) Syria: Making Peace Eleven Years On
e) Libya: Finding Stability in a Failed State
f) Iraq: Resolving the Political Paralysis
g) Extremism in the UK: The Threat From The Far-Right
h) Ukraine: Towards A Negotiated Peace Settlement
i) Iran: Finding Solutions to Internal Crises
Van Mildert College Primary School Project
November 2021 – April 2022
📍Durham, United Kingdom
Head of School
• Managed a team of 5 volunteers to teach at a school for disadvantaged kids in the area
• Conducted weekly Science classes to 20+ students aged 9-11
Cahaya Surya Bakti – UNHCR-Designated Learning Centre
March 2021 – August 2021
📍Johor, Malaysia
UNHCR Teacher
• Taught 25 classes weekly to 80+ students aged 10-19, tailoring lesson plans for differing learning competency levels and underprivileged backgrounds
• Raised SGD 3000+ to provide customised uniforms for 300+ refugee students to instil a sense of identity and belonging in a marginalised community
• Established partnership with a student-led charity initiative, designing merchandise to generate SGD 850+ for an emergency fund
• Designed a standard operating procedure to assist refugees facing medical and financial challenges, many of whom endured trauma from genocide
Singapore Armed Forces
January 2019 – January 2021
📍Singapore
Intelligence Research Assistant (Corporal)
• Monitored the development of high-threat terrorist groups operating in the Southeast Asian Region using military-certified research techniques
• Deterred significant incidents to maritime security by assessing threat levels from vessels entering Singapore’s waters and performing incident management processes for crises ranging from oil spills to sea piracy
• Enhanced operational readiness by leading a team of 4 servicemen to coordinate multi-agency responses to heightened maritime threats
• Selected from a cohort of 20 intelligence professionals to complete certifications in complex systems in cargo security and intelligence analysis from theU.S. Customs and Border Protection and IBM, applying the expertise gained to train junior team members and improve the unit’s operational performance