Turning historical ties into a technology partnership

The British High Commissioner to Singapore, Nik Mehta, is of medium build but the energy and optimism that he exudes quickly fills up the room. 

This was apparent when GovInsider met him at the sprawling offices of the British High Commission (BHC) in Singapore. 

One would add, based on our conversation, along with optimism there is a passion for the job his government has entrusted him with.  

Mehta, who took up his current assignment in July last year, is a career diplomat. Prior to this assignment, from 2022 to 2024, he was the Director for Policy and Requirements in the UK’s National Security Community. 

He has been a diplomat for 23 years, with postings that have taken him across the gross domestic product (GDP) ladder, including roles in Iraq, Uganda, Malaysia, South Korea, and now Singapore. 

Talking about the UK-Singapore relationship, Mehta notes that the two countries have a historical past that is intertwined. 

His focus, as the High Commissioner, however, is on the modern relationship between the two countries.  

“There is not one element of my new government's mission that doesn't have a link to Singapore or a path that connects us to Singapore,” he says. 

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Singapore is an important partner for the UK in various global initiatives such as supporting economic growth, science innovation and technology collaboration and in “our climate ambition, or on security in this part of the world”, the High Commissioner adds. 

“We are fortunate that we have a Strategic Partnership that was signed by the then Prime Ministers in September 2023, and that provides the perfect foundation to build our policy relationship from,” says Mehta. 

Technology partners 

The High Commissioner wants to position the UK and Singapore as each other's most important technology partners. This will help Singapore enter the European market and the UK enter the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. 

 “A continued collaboration on using artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to improve public service delivery in areas like healthcare, education, and diplomatic services is a priority,” Mehta notes, adding that this will build on the recent memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on AI safety signed by the two governments.  

Apart from the agreement on AI safety, Mehta highlights other agreements between the two nations, such as the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA), which aims to bolster digital trade, and the new Green Economy Framework, which aims to bolster energy and climate collaboration.  

He notes that the UK has a strong legacy in digital technology, with four of the world's top 10 universities and thriving tech ecosystems in cities like Manchester, Edinburgh, Gloucestershire, Oxford, Cambridge, and London.  

“This has enabled the UK to create more tech unicorns than the next four or five European capitals combined,” Mehta says. 

He adds that AI and digital technology are being leveraged to improve public services in both the UK and Singapore. 

The UK government has launched the AI opportunities action plan, which is a whole-of-government effort to use AI and digital technologies to improve public service delivery, the High Commissioner notes. 

He adds that the UK is “taking inspiration from Singapore's development of a national AI strategy and workforce upskilling plans to prepare for the transformation of public services”. 

Noting the similarities in approach between the two governments, Mehta adds that just as Singapore's SingPass app provides a one-stop verification process to access government services, the UK's Gov.uk wallet is seen as a similar digital identity and service platform. 

To-do list 

Mehta wants to ensure that the BHC provides bidirectional support to trade missions going between the UK and Singapore, showcasing emerging Singaporean tech companies and helping them enter the European market, while concurrently exposing UK technology companies to the opportunities in Singapore and the broader Southeast Asia (SEA) region. 

The High Commissioner tells GovInsider that he wants to “further build on the strong historical and modern ties between the UK and Singapore, particularly in areas like education, arts and culture, and sports”.  

Mehta says one of his priorities is to increase the number of Singaporean students studying in the UK and UK university leaders visiting Singapore. Currently, more than 7,000 Singaporean students study in the UK, and 29,800 Singaporeans take UK qualifications in Singapore. 

“Cultural ties are also strong, with exhibitions, British musicians, and UK sports leagues being popular in Singapore,” he adds. 

Mehta notes that so far during his tenure 100 British technology companies, ranging from start-ups to larger companies participated in various events in Singapore. “They are all keen to showcase their technology and secure Singaporean support for their growth and expansion.” 

Supporter of diversity and inclusion 

Mehta is a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion and believes that the diplomatic and intelligence services of the UK should reflect fully the talent across the society and that diversity is one of the UK’s great strengths.  

The High Commissioner says that he has 185 people working at the High Commission in Singapore and they are "diverse in every sense of the word", with 23 different nationalities represented among the staff. 

He describes his stint so far as the "best" of his career, although he shares that the key challenges for him are prioritising competing interests and maintaining the momentum and impact of the UK-Singapore relationship over time.  

As the first High Commissioner of Asian ethnicity in this role, Mehta aims to use his position to showcase the UK's strengths in technology, innovation, and education. 

He shares that he wants to use communication, social media, and traditional media to promote diplomacy and the work of the High Commission in supporting the UK's economic and security interests. 

Overall, Mehta's vision for the way forward involves deepening collaboration across multiple domains - digital, commercial, people-to-people, and public sector - while also using his role to project a modern, diverse, and technologically advanced image of the UK.