Ambassadors Lecture Series
Speaker: His Excellency David Malcomson, High Commissioner of South Africa to Malaysia
Date: 9 May 2023 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Venue: Auditorium, Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roy Anthony Rogers, Deputy Executive Director (Research & Internationalisation) of Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
The lecture will begin with an overview of the historical development of diplomatic ties between the two countries over the past 30 years. South Africa's current foreign policy approach will then be outlined within the current geopolitical context. A number of bilateral and multilateral intersection between the two countries will be discussed during the lecture, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and the Commonwealth. Additionally, the speaker will address key issues such as Palestine and South-South cooperation. The lecture will conclude with an interactive Q&A session and an opportunity for discussion.
His Excellency David Evan Malcomson is a prominent South African diplomat who has made significant contributions to the country's foreign policy objectives. Born on October 24, 1965, H.E. Malcomson's academic background includes a BA in International Relations and an LLB from the University of Witwatersrand. He began his career in diplomacy in December 1991 when he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), now known as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
H.E. Malcomson's career in DIRCO spans over three decades, during which he served in various capacities. He graduated from the Diplomatic Cadet Training Course in 1994 and served on the Russia, CIS, and Turkey Desk at DFA between 1993 and 1994. From 1995 to 1999, he was Third Secretary at the South African High Commission in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he was primarily responsible for Southern African Development Community (SADC) issues and bilateral political and economic matters.
In 1999, H.E. Malcomson was appointed Assistant Director on the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Desk and served in the African Renaissance Transformation Task Team until 2001. He was then seconded to The Presidency as Deputy Director, where he worked with the Economic Advisor to President Mbeki. From there, he moved to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Secretariat as International Advisor to the Head of the Secretariat. He was subsequently appointed Director of the NEPAD Desk from 2005 to 2006.
H.E. Malcomson's contributions to South African diplomacy also include his tenure as Minister Plenipotentiary at the South African Embassy in Beijing, China, from 2007 to 2011. He served as Director of the NEPAD, African Peer Review Mechanism, African Renaissance Fund, and Partnerships Desk from 2011 to 2013, before being appointed Chief Director of the NEPAD and Partnerships Desk until July 2015. From July 2015 to 2020, H.E. Malcomson was Chief Director of the Regional Organisations Desk, with special responsibility for the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit. He was also Sous-Sherpa for the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS), India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA), and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) from 2018. In 2020, H.E. Malcomson served as Acting Deputy Director-General of the Branch: Asia and Middle East, and chaired the Global Repositioning Task Team. In January 2021, he was appointed High Commissioner to Malaysia and non-resident High Commissioner designate to Brunei.
2:00 pm: Arrival of Guests & Registration
2:30 pm: Welcoming remarks by Dr. Nurliana Kamaruddin, Deputy Executive Director (Academic and Student Affairs), Asia-Europe Institute.
2:35 pm: Remarks by the moderator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roy Anthony Rogers, Deputy Executive Director (Research & Internationalisation), Asia-Europe Institute
2:40 pm: Lecture by H.E. David Malcomson, High Commissioner of South Africa to Malaysia
3:20 pm: Q&A
4:00 pm: Closing
4:05 pm: End of session followed by refreshments
Last Update: 27/04/2023