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by Charles Chao Rong Phua (Author)
What is pragmatism? Is it a means to an end, or an end in itself? Is it antithetical to ideology or morality?
Arguing that pragmatism is a skill much more than an attribute, Phua examines how viewing it in this way can help achieve better foreign policy outcomes. He examines and contrasts the ways in which the United States, China and Singapore have incorporated pragmatism into their approaches to foreign policy. In doing so he debunks dualistic myths around pragmatism and ideology and promotes the view of pragmatism as a skill that can be developed.
An essential primer for students, analysts and policymakers, with a fresh and practical approach to pragmatism.
Author Biography
Dr Charles Chao Rong PHUA now runs Solaris Strategies Singapore (and Solaris Consortium of Management Consultancies) dedicated to pragmatically solving complex problems supporting governments, corporates and underserved nonprofits at sector and enterprise levels, after two decades in government, where he functioned as head research trainer in defence and chief external affairs supporting cities and infrastructural diplomacy. Charles also presides over Association for Public Affairs (Singapore) spearheading active citizenry in policymaking and serving as chief judge for Singapore Model Cabinet and Parliament organised by government.
He is an internationally certified management consultant and agile certified practitioner with doctorate in public policy, degrees in international relations, security management, education, accounting, law, and completed executive education in strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, marketing from leading business schools: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Berkeley, Babson, INSEAD, Cambridge, Oxford, London Business School.
He applies pragmatism in his adjunct teaching/coaching of applied problem-solving practicums in five universities/colleges in Singapore (National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Civil Service College Singapore) and Switzerland (University of St Gallen), and has coedited Governing Cities: Asia's Urban Transformation (Routledge). A Fulbright fellow, he was formerly resident fellow at Brookings Institution, Columbia and Johns Hopkins universities, and non-resident senior fellow at East-West Institute (New York). He currently serves as series editor for Routledge series for strategy, wisdom and skills with a commitment to codify practitioner+academic wisdom in applied and interdisciplinary fields.
