National University of Singapore and NPS Forge Groundbreaking Educational Alliance

In a ceremony held on July 11 at the Temasek Defense Systems Institute (TDSI), three American military officers were honored for earning their Master of Defence Technology and Systems (MDTS) degrees. U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alex Anderson and U.S. Marine Corps officers Capt. Susan Figlioli and Capt. Jordan Figlioli achieved this through a unique exchange program that allows Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) students to earn degrees from both institutions.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Danial Pick, NPS Director of International Programs, emphasized the significance of this educational partnership with Singapore. “Singapore is a critical Indo-Pacific partner. The decades-old educational relationship between NPS and TDSI is an important manifestation of our partnership. Hundreds of U.S. and Singaporean graduates of our unique dual degree program are serving in important national security positions in both countries,” Pick noted.

The dual degree program boasts numerous successful alumni, like U.S. Navy Capt. Andy Berner, Commander of the Office of Naval Research Global, and Col. Ong Cher Howe of the Singaporean Ministry of Defence. This program exemplifies the collaboration between the U.S. and Singapore, particularly in the context of the region’s strategic dynamics.

Singapore, with a population of 6.2 million, is situated at a crucial maritime juncture between the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea. Known for its robust infrastructure and political stability, the city-state is a major hub for trade, finance, and military operations in Asia. Over the past five decades, the U.S. and Singapore have built a strong alliance focused on a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

Strengthening strategic partnerships forms a crucial aspect of Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s Strategic Guidance for the Navy and Marine Corps, last updated in October 2023. The document calls for enhancing relationships with allies, leveraging specialized experiences, and deepening partnerships with democracies worldwide.

“We will build opportunities for Sailors, Marines, and Civilians to train, learn, and operate side-by-side with their counterparts in partner and allied forces, and operationally integrate our allies and partners into strategic concepts and warfighting concepts to deter those that challenge us,” Del Toro wrote.

The NPS-TDSI partnership, developed in 2001, exemplifies the value of intellectual collaboration in defense strategies. Temasek Defence Professor Lui Pao Chuen, a 1973 NPS graduate, highlighted the program’s role in building capabilities of the Singaporean Armed Forces (SAF). “NPS has been a strategic partner of NUS to help build the capabilities of the Singaporean Armed Forces. The relationship has grown over time. I look forward to greater integration of education and research of the two institutes in the coming years,” Lui said.

MDTS students spend half a year at NUS engaging in advanced studies topics like cybersecurity, AI, and data analytics. This experience provides U.S. military students with a grounded perspective on defense challenges in Singapore and the larger region, complementing their technical specializations.

For instance, Lt. Cmdr. Anderson combined his NPS master’s degree in electrical engineering with the MDTS degree. Currently serving as a cyber planner at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Anderson highlighted the value of his Singapore experience. “Countless invaluable academic, cultural and social experiences were taken away from my studies abroad in Singapore. The professors in the TDSI program were a mix of university professors and defense contractor adjunct professors which offered an additional level of perspective to the course materials,” he said.

“With my valuable experience from the TDSI program, I hope to be a leading player in the relationships we have with Singapore and other partner nations in the Pacific,” he added.

Currently, three NPS students are participating in the TDSI exchange program in Singapore. U.S. Navy Lt. Alex Misenheimer, Lt. Alan Hatlestad, and Marine Corps Capt. James Villaneuva will return to Monterey this fall to finish the NPS portion of their studies.

Lt. Hatlestad, a METOC officer specializing in Physical Oceanography at NPS, shared his positive experience in the TDSI program. “The professors typically have many years of either military or industry experience in their respective fields. I appreciated the emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, which I think emulates real-world military exercises,” he said.

“Upon my return to NPS, I will carry on with my fourth quarter with a new cognitive toolkit and framework for thinking. Having worked together in the same classroom for several months, I have made friends with my colleagues and counterparts from Singapore and Israel, and look forward to the next year we will all spend in Monterey,” Hatlestad added.