Dr. Surin Pitsuwan　Bio

Dr. Surin Pitsuwan is a native of Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Southern Thailand. He holds an MA and Ph.D. in political science and Middle Eastern studies from Harvard University. After completing his education in the U.S., he returned to Thailand in to assume a teaching position at Thammasat. He successfully ran for Parliament two years later. As an MP, he was appointed Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to Deputy Minister of Interior, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served as chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the chair of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

While the ASEAN chair, he led the efforts to get Southeast Asian governments to help restore law and order, and that joint undertaking–with the support of the United Nations and the international community–brought about peace and security in East Timor.
Upon leaving the foreign affairs portfolio in mid-2001, Dr. Surin was appointed a member of the Commission on Human Security of the United Nations. He also served as an advisor to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty and on the ILO’s World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization until 2004.
Dr. Surin has been conferred 13 honorary doctorate degrees, including one from University of Bristol, Claremont McKenna College, the National University of Malaya University Purta Malaysia, and University of Malaya. He is now engaged in the promotion of regional integration in East Asia, educational and political reform efforts in Thailand and a frequent speaker at various international conferences.