The diplomat-strategist: How she’s helping shape Singapore’s defence relations and NS policy, all in her 20s

At 27, she has contributed to bilateral defence agreement negotiations, supported Singapore’s top diplomats with research and analysis, and attended global security summits. Meet Ms Adeline Goh, a defence executive officer (DXO) in the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

Just two years into her role at the Defence Policy Office (DPO), she has already gained a wealth of experience many others would have taken years to acquire.

Her interest in international affairs intensified after an unprecedented wave of global events in 2016.

Then a student in junior college, three events that year stood out to Ms Goh: the election of Donald Trump as US’ 45th president, the United Kingdom’s referendum vote to leave the European Union, and the tribunal ruling over the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines.

“I didn’t want to just read about these events on the news – I wanted to personally make sense of these developments in terms of their history and their impact on Singapore and our region,” she says. “There was a yearning within me to get into the thick of the action, as Singapore navigated a rapidly shifting geopolitical and security environment.

“I wanted to witness first-hand Singapore’s thought leadership and diplomacy at work, and to be part of history in contributing to Singapore’s foreign and defence policies.”

A recipient of the Defence Merit Scholarship, she is putting her passion for global affairs into practice – helping to shape policies that support Singapore’s security and resilience.

Making a choice

Ms Goh’s interest in global affairs initially led her to consider a career path in the think-tank sphere, where she hoped to have a hand in influencing policy and shaping public opinion about geopolitical and security issues.

At the same time, as many of her friends were either in the midst of enlisting or had just begun their National Service (NS), their accounts of their experiences intrigued Ms Goh about what it took to contribute to Singapore’s defence.

This led her to discover the DPO, where she would later take on responsibilities ranging from charting out Singapore’s defence engagement strategies at the macro level to planning the details of engagements at the micro level. 

“The DPO would give me a firsthand experience of what it takes to don a diplomat’s hat, and go out to advance and safeguard Singapore’s defence interests on the global stage – as well as the behind-the-scenes planning and preparations that shape the course of these engagements,” she says.

That goal guided her decision to apply for the Defence Merit Scholarship, Mindef’s top-tier civilian scholarship. Under the scholarship, she completed her degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh in 2021, before graduating from the University of Hong Kong with a Masters in International and Public Affairs in 2022.

Shortly after, she was posted to the DPO’s North-east Asia desk, where she oversaw Singapore’s defence relations with countries in the region at a time when the US-China strategic rivalry – intensified by Covid-19 – was reshaping regional dynamics and putting pressure on security.

“We are realistic about the weight and agency that small states such as Singapore have vis-à-vis big powers,” she says. “But this does not stop us from making our worth as a neutral ground for dialogue and a trusted interlocutor.

“Helping to strengthen Singapore’s credibility in the international community brings meaning to my work.”

One such platform is the annual S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) Trilateral Exchange, a dialogue which brings together senior academics from Singapore, the US and China to discuss security issues.

As part of Mindef’s support for the series, Ms Goh contributed to its conceptualisation and execution, and helped facilitate conversations among participating academics.

She also planned then Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen’s combined engagement with the American and Chinese delegations. At the broad level, this included researching and strategising how to brief him on relevant geopolitical and security issues and each academic’s area of expertise. It also involved paying attention to the micro details that influenced the atmosphere of the conversations, such as the engagement modality and seating arrangement.

On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2023, which gathered defence ministers in Singapore, she supported the conclusion of two key agreements: an agreement to establish a secure defence telephone link between Singapore and China, and an agreement on defence equipment and technology transfer with Japan. These affirmed Singapore’s efforts to deepen regional defence cooperation.

Strengthening home-grown capabilities

After two years in the DPO, Ms Goh is now with the National Service Policy Department (NSPD), where she reviews and implements policies to ensure effective optimisation of NS resources and strong public support for NS.

Her time at the DPO deepened her appreciation of NS as a cornerstone of Singapore’s defence policy.

Pointing to how several European countries that abolished conscription now face manpower challenges, she says: “These countries are finding it difficult to secure manpower, because it’s hard to convince the public to bear arms.”

In contrast, she says, Singapore is often seen as a model for running a conscription system with strong public commitment – a reputation that motivated her to request a posting to NSPD.

“I wanted to have the opportunity to also develop new skills in formulating domestic policies, which have far-reaching implications for the man-in-the-street and for Singapore’s overall defence policy and standing on the world map.”

As a manager in the National Service Resource Branch under NSPD, she works on reviewing policies and streamlining NS processes such as digitalising call-up notices and refining exit permit procedures.

She notes that sustaining public support for NS is more important than ever in today’s volatile geopolitical climate. “The idea of perpetual peace is never a given, but what we can do is to always be prepared for the unexpected.”

Living in north-east Singapore, the sound of fighter jets from Paya Lebar Air Base serves as a daily reminder of that mission.

“Many people complain about the noise, but it’s reassuring to hear it,” she says. “It’s a reminder that as we work and live in Singapore, there are people who continue to safeguard our country.”

“It motivates me to continue to do my part as well to contribute to Singapore’s security.”

Find out how the Defence Merit Scholarship can help you shape Singapore’s future

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