Ambassador for a Day:
Five students, one dream job
Once again, several ambassadors to Singapore graciously agreed to host some of our readers for a day, showing them the ropes of diplomacy. After wading through a stack of applications, we chose our contest winners … and then COVID-19 hit! So, after months of patiently waiting, our five winners finally got the chance of a lifetime, learning what it’s like to be an ambassador. Why did you want this opportunity?
I’m fascinated with history and current events, and I wanted to learn about how an ambassador represents his country.
How did you spend your day together?
I met High Commissioner Bruce Gosper in his office. We talked about the embassy, his job and his experience. I thought that High Commissioner Gosper was very knowledgeable about foreign relations. I was surprised to learn that he had also lived in Japan, like me.
For the rest of the day, I toured the embassy. In the Passport and Immigration sections, they showed me how a passport was made and how to fill out an application. Next, I took the citizenship test for fun. They asked historical questions like “What is ANZAC Day?” After that, I went to a meeting that updated us about some current events.
Later, I met the head of the Australian Defense Section who is a member of the Navy. We talked about the relations between Australia and Singapore, historical background, and a sailor’s daily routine.
For my last visit, I met the Australian Federal Police Commissioner and I learnt what she did for her job. She gave me some cool items such as a water bottle and a challenge coin.
To finish the day, I drove with High Commissioner Gosper in his official car that had the Australian flag on it and he dropped me off at my home.
I’m very grateful to all of the interesting people I met at the Australian High Commission. The day was really fun and a unique experience, and taught me a lot about the embassy and the government itself.
What was the biggest surprise?
What I expected from the day was going to meetings and tours around the embassy. My biggest surprise was at the current events meeting, where I heard about unusual cases that you normally wouldn’t hear of. Sorry, I can’t share details … it’s top secret!
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
When I first entered the embassy, there was something inspirational about the place because it had cool Australian indigenous artwork and flags. It would be great if I could work in a place that motivates me.
Why did you want this opportunity?
Considering the rapid changes and difficulty the world faces, ambassadors often have to bear the brunt of this force and interpret it the best they can. I wanted to learn how an ambassador sees the world and what it means. I had the honour and privilege of attending the Turkish embassy and spent the day with Ambassador Lütem and his team.
How did you spend your day together?
To start off the day, we had tea and got to know each other better, and learnt more about where we were from. I tried Turkish coffee for the first time, and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t as strong as I first thought. We then spent some time learning about the history of Turkey, and Turkish-Singapore relations.
Ambassador Lütem also spent time telling me about what his job as ambassador is; he described it as being all about “opening new channels of communication” as well as building on the existing relationship between two countries. The Ambassador also stated that to work effectively together, political relations needed to be stable first, which Singapore and Turkey always have had.
Some notable examples of the work the Ambassador has done include the signing of a free trade agreement between Turkey and Singapore as well as progress on Turkish exhibitions coming to Singapore (delayed due to the pandemic). We also discussed how one enters diplomatic service, as well as the two different types of diplomats. I found this very interesting. He also mentioned that embassies do much more than cultural, economic and political work. Then, the Ambassador took me out to lunch (Turkish cuisine, obviously!). We travelled there in the embassy car, which was a new, exciting and unique experience. We had food such as pita, hummus, different meats and salads; I also learned more about the influences on Turkey’s food, especially those linked to the geography of the country. During the last few hours of my stay, I met with different members of the Ambassador’s staff. It’s a relatively small embassy so I had a chance to meet everyone there. What I found especially interesting was learning about all the consular work the embassy does, such as visas.
What was the biggest surprise?
Looking back on my short time at the embassy, I had an amazing time. Although not in the setting we expected due to the virus, I learned many new things regarding the diplomatic service and how embassies work, as well as much about Turkey and its people.
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
The warmth and hospitality extended by the embassy to me were immeasurable, and it really made me think about a future career as a diplomat.
Why did you want this opportunity?
I wanted this opportunity as it was a great way to experience what diplomacy is actually like, and learn about some of the things the job entails.
How did you spend your day together?
I had a truly unique experience with Ambassador Sante during my Ambassador for a Day experience. I arrived at the embassy at 8.30am and found my way upstairs, where I was greeted by Fabrice from the Ambassador’s staff. First, I was given a tour of the embassy, which was interesting because I got to see the space and the different rooms. During my tour, we stopped to have a quick chat with some different people working at the embassy, which was very interesting.
I was then welcomed to the Ambassador’s office where we had a chat for about 30 minutes. It started with him asking some questions about me, so he could get to know me. Then we talked about current affairs and about diplomacy in general. Then I went into the main meeting room, and everyone working at the embassy was there. I introduced myself to everyone and the meeting started. It was in German, which I only understand a little bit of, but it was fun to see anyway.
We then went back into the Ambassador’s office to chat some more and take some photos. Fabrice then took me to lunch, where I was able to ask him questions about foreign service, which is an interest of mine.
After that, we got in the embassy car and went to the Ambassador’s residence, which was grand and fun to explore. We also had a video call with the American Chargé d’Affaires, Rafik Mansour. This was extremely interesting, particularly for me as an American, to hear about the US foreign service.
What was the biggest surprise?
Overall, this was a great day. It was interesting to hear about everyone’s diplomatic careers, and the countries they have lived in. Everyone around me was so nice and welcoming and it really gave me a nice insight into foreign service. I am so appreciative to Ambassador Sante and his team for making me feel so welcome.
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
This experience will 100 percent affect my future career and definitely keep being a diplomat on the table as a career path for me.
Why did you want this opportunity?
This opportunity was wonderful for me as I have been contemplating joining the Dutch foreign service when I graduate from university and work my way up to be an ambassador for the Netherlands.
How did you spend your day together?
When I arrived, I was introduced to the Ambassador and it was clear that I was meeting a seasoned diplomat. I felt at ease right away. I learnt that there are two forms of power a country can use: soft power and hard power. Soft power is the use of innovation and culture to advance the interests of your country, and hard power is the use of military means to advance these said interests. With hard power becoming more and more unfashionable, many ambassadors are using their soft power cleverly.
Argentina is famous for its delicious meat, splendid scenery, fantastic wines and, of course, the tango – as well as another famous sport, polo. These are all great sources of soft power, and the Ambassador uses them well. He organises a yearly festival so people in Singapore can try the meats and wines of Argentina. He also promoted the creation of Colts Polo and Riding School, which has quickly become one of the largest on the Island.
Mr Massenio, the Deputy Chief of Mission, took me through the rigorous examination procedures that Argentinian diplomats-to-be need to go through, as well as the different ways for an Argentinian to become an ambassador.
Mr Martins, the head of the investment section, explained that the common idea that embassies are territories of another nation is actually false. The rules of the country apply, but it is not actually considered foreign soil. I also learned the service part of foreign service really is the most important task of an embassy, as its first job is to help the citizens of its country when they require it.
Mr Godoy, head of administration, kindly showed me the embassy. He had the best view of everyone as he could see all of the incoming and outgoing cargo ships.
In the evening, I attended a polo class. Polo is a major part of the soft power the Argentinian Ambassador can use. Polo is a really large sport in Argentina, as it has the perfect climate and landscape to practise it. I got to know the Ambassador better during this lesson. What I noticed was that he was very easily approachable and friendly, a quality that is, of course, very important in an ambassador.
What was the biggest surprise?
All in all, the biggest surprise was that, while the pandemic has had a big impact, the whole embassy still did their best to make everything run super smoothly.
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
I had very enjoyable conversations about a number of topics, which have inspired me to persevere and stick to my dream of being an ambassador in the future. This day has definitely encouraged me to keep working hard to achieve my dream!
Why did you want this opportunity?
Diplomacy has always fascinated me. I love to negotiate things, and am a bit of a natural peacemaker (I’m a middle child!). My values are all about creating a more sustainable and peaceful future. I have long dreamed about being an ambassador so I could contribute to my country. (I’m from New Zealand, France and Panama, so I’m not yet sure how you combine these things!).
I respect different cultures and feel lucky to have friends from lots of different places. I love travelling and meeting new people. I think if people learned more about each other and became friends it would help us all find better solutions to big problems.
How did you spend your day together?
I started at the spectacular ambassador’s residence, greeted by Ambassador Bourne and his assistant, Aislinn Dwyer. We talked and I asked some questions, like where he grew up (Ireland), and where he had been posted (Iraq, Iran, Denmark, Australia/New Zealand, India, UK and, of course, Singapore).
We then sat at a grand table with Mrs Bourne, too, and ate a marvellous lunch of mackerel, quinoa, quiche and chocolate mousse. Irish food is delicious.
Then, we took the embassy car and went to the embassy. It’s in a huge building with a few other embassies. It has great security so that nobody can take any classified files!
The team gave me a warm Irish welcome. Ambassador Bourne then talked me through their different roles – each person has lots of big responsibilities. Later, there was a Zoom conference on the UN Day of the Girl. I’m a feminist (I have two sisters), so it was an important day everywhere. I was then driven home in the embassy car with Ambassador Bourne. I will never forget my day as Irish ambassador!
What was the biggest surprise?
The biggest surprise for me was that such a small team was doing so much to help their community. Ambassador Bourne explained that you could be a specialist in a specific area and still work for the embassy team, and that you can have many career paths to join the team. I liked being part of the team for the day. The people were really nice and I liked their accents.
Do you think this experience might affect what you choose to do for a career?
I had such a great time with Ambassador Bourne and I feel like it helped me learn new things about being an ambassador. Being an ambassador would always be interesting, fun and meaningful. You would get to make friends with so many people and help negotiate win-win situations all around the world. I like the idea that you could help your own country whilst living in other places, too. This experience totally reinforces why I want to be an ambassador. (I also want to play professional football for PSG.)