Staff Profiles
Harold TOR (Coordinator)
 Harold TOR |
Harold Tor is currently EI’s Web Communications Coordinator, he joined EI in 2002. He was born in Singapore in 1975.
The Unit is in charge of developing the EI web portal comprising all of EI's websites covering all EI regions and all policy areas, as well as collecting, writing, editing and diffusing news items concerning the latest developments in the activities and programmes of EI and its member organisations around the world. The Unit is also responsible for the development of other means of information sharing via the web, such as electronic newsletters, discussion lists, RSS feeds and online forums.
Harold started his career as a freelance web designer. He was involved in the e-DAF project at the National University of Singapore, which aimed at producing material for online learning of German as a foreign language(http://courseware.nus.edu.sg/e-daf/). At the National Council of Social Services of Singapore, Harold worked on a national Disability Portal, which put in place all services and facilities available to persons with different disability types across the country (http://www.disability.org.sg).
After receiving his Bachelor of Social Sciences in European Studies and English Language from the National University of Singapore, Harold continued his interest in European affairs by majoring in the subject for his Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons). He believes in cross-disciplinary research, which is exemplified in his paper on "The Libertine and the liberated: gender relations in the novel, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' by Choderlos de Laclos, and its cinematic adaptations".
He received a scholarship awarded by the French government and proceeded to read international politics at Sciences-Po Paris (Institute of Political Studies of Paris), where he received his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Political Sciences in 2002. His research focused mainly on Asian politics this time, but his approach and methodology broadened across the boundaries of disciplinarial norms. His efforts led to the presentation of a paper on the politics of his home country Singapore, entitled "The construction of the Singaporean family: the invention of tradition or the tradition of invention?".
Harold enjoys cross-cultural interaction and exchanges, especially among young people. Hence he became a moderator at the 4th ASEF University organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation in 2001.
Harold speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and French. He reads German and is learning Dutch very slowly. He currently lives in Antwerp and Gent - two beautiful cities in Belgium, and enjoys travelling to every corner of the globe except Brussels early in the morning.