Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

The 15th IPS-Nathan Lecture series by Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University, concluded earlier today with its third and final lecture. The lecture, titled "Beyond the Ivory Tower: Research and the Dilemmas of Quality and Relevance," explored the dual responsibilities of universities as centres of intellectual freedom and societal accountability. Prof Kong highlighted five key areas of concern shaping university research today: misconduct, citation manipulation, magniloquence, mistreatment of academic staff, and the misalignment between disciplinary and interdisciplinary research. She concluded by calling on universities to adopt a whole-of-system approach that balances academic freedom with greater urgency in addressing global challenges and community needs. Prof Kong underscored the importance of aligning resources strategically, fostering research integrity, and embracing societal impact as a core goal of academic work. The Question-and-Answer session of the lecture was moderated by Professor Chan Heng Chee, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) Honorary Professor, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, and IPS' 7th S R Nathan Fellow. The discussion spanned topics including how universities can produce research useful for society, the criteria on assessing research impact, the relevance of research in teaching, and how universities in Singapore can shape their value proposition in increasing their agility for Asian and global contexts. Learn more about the lecture series at the link in the comments. #IPSsg #singapore #lecture #SMU #university #research #academic #value #global

On July 17, NTUC Income announced that it would be merging with the German insurance company Allianz, which would result in Income becoming a minority shareholder. Although the Singapore Government blocked the proposed transaction in its current form, Allianz has stated that the deal remains under negotiation. In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS Special Adviser Professor Tommy Koh and past CEO of NTUC Income and past group CEO of NTUC Enterprise Mr Tan Suee Chieh argue that the merger contradicts earlier assurances that Income’s surplus funds would strengthen its capital base for social causes. Instead this merger would prioritise shareholder payouts. They advocate for Income to remain independent, safeguarding its surplus funds for social causes and focusing on addressing evolving social challenges. Discover their insights through the link in the comments.

The Donor Appreciation Lunch for the S R Nathan Fellowship for the Study of Singapore took place last Friday, where founding donors of the Fellowship gathered and discussed key global issues, including the impact of the 2024 US Presidential Election on trade, climate change, China as a civilisation state, and cryptocurrency. The event was co-hosted by Prof Tommy Koh, IPS Special Adviser, and Mr Janadas Devan, IPS Director. The 9th, 12th and 14th S R Nathan Fellows, namely Mr Ravi Menon, Prof Gungwu Wang, and Mr Chong Meng Tan, were amongst the attendees. To learn more about the S R Nathan Fellowship, visit the link in the comments. Melanie Chew Aylwin Tan Tan Cheng Gay Tony Tan Timothy Chia Chee Ming Emmanuel Paul Ng Kaixin Liang Low Han-tzen Lee Tzu Yang Marcus Lam Lydia Lim Mrs Goh-Tan Choo Leng Fang Ai Lian #IPSsg #singapore #SRNathan #fellowship #uselections #trade #climate #china #crypto

In his speech at the People's Action Party Conference, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called upon party members to be front and centre working the ground for the next general election.    IPS' Dr Gillian Koh remarked that this seems to be a fresh perspective. She noted that the incoming PAP secretary-general’s message could see activists going beyond grassroots work and explaining policies.   Read more at the link in our comments.   #ipssg #singapore #politics #sgpolitics #pap #lawrencewong

On November 13, the Child Development Co-Savings Act was amended to implement more government-paid parental leave and mandatory paternity leave. Parents-to-be will get another 10 weeks of shared leave on top of their current leave entitlement, bringing the total amount of government-paid parental leave to 30 weeks by April 1, 2026.   MP Louis Ng called for maternity and paternity leave to be equalised, citing an IPS report which found that family policies in Singapore signal that childcare is a woman’s responsibility and reinforce gender stereotypes. As fathers get less leave, they cannot develop the skills and confidence needed to care for their children, causing them to leave childcare to mothers.   Read the article and the IPS report titled '“Stay-at-home” fathers and their families: What lessons for policymakers?' at the links in the comments.   #IPSsg #singapore #maternity #paternity #leave #gender #parent #policy #family

Professor Lily Kong, IPS’ 15th S R Nathan Fellow and President of Singapore Management University (SMU), will be delivering her 3rd lecture titled, “Beyond the Ivory Tower: Research and the Dilemmas of Quality and Relevance”, on 27th November 2024.   In this lecture, Prof Kong will explore the critical role of universities in producing impactful research amidst massive social and technological transformations. She will examine how universities can ensure the quality and integrity of their research while avoiding the pitfalls of misinformation, misconduct, and manipulation. Prof Kong will also highlight the creative, catalytic, and consequential potential of research that not only anticipates global challenges but also serves society beyond academia. The lecture will provoke reflections on how universities can shape research that is relevant, ethical, and consequential in an ever-evolving world.   Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SUTD Honorary Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities in the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), will be moderating the Question-and-Answer session of this lecture.   Tune in to the lecture on IPS' Facebook page: https://lnkd.in/eMKuhPz   Sign up for this lecture: https://lnkd.in/gsAQ5gga

At the 41st Singapore Economic Roundtable (SER) held last Thursday, speakers Ms Neha Varma, Lead Economist, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ms Radhika R., Executive Director and Senior Economist, DBS Bank Ltd, and Mr Alvin Liew, Senior Economist, UOB Limited, presented on macroeconomic issues and key implications of the US Election results. The special session in this edition examined the effects that the proposed Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) might have. It was presented by Dr Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow and Co-ordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS); Mr Raymond Yee, Vice President, Customs and Regulatory Affairs, DHL Express; and Dr Hak Bin Chua, Regional Co-Head, Macro Research, Maybank Research Pte Ltd. Participants discussed a range of issues that will determine the success of this JS-SEZ proposal, such as smoother logistics operations and higher demand for cross-border living. Find out more about the SER at the link in the comments. #IPSsg #singapore #economy #policy #johor #research

How would the path to Housing & Development Board flat ownership for singles evolve in the coming years? In this episode of Open House by CNA938 and 99 Group (99.co | Rumah123 | SRX) , IPS' Dr Kalpana Vignehsa, PhD observed that the demand for public housing for singles have increased, reflecting a global change towards a preference for living alone as more choose to stay single. She also addressed the impacts of policy updates on the prices and supply of flats, some considerations for single seniors planning for retirement, and some future trends and potential changes in public housing policies for single individuals in Singapore. Listen to the podcast at the link in the comments.   #ipssg #singapore #HDB #homeowner #single #flat #housing #publichousing #policy #retirement

How can Singapore better support homeless individuals? In this CNA938 interview, host Susan Ng speaks to IPS' Dr Harry Tan and Vanessa Lim from New Hope Community Services, the authors of a recently published op-ed titled "Commentary: Homeless shelters that feel like home can help keep people off the streets in Singapore".   Dr Tan observed that the number of rough sleepers decreased by 40% from 2019, pointing at the increased reception towards shelters. He also debunked several misconceptions about shelters and homelessness in Singapore, and suggested that Singapore can work towards improving upstream measures in preventing homelessness. Listen to the interview and read the op-ed at the links in the comments.   #IPSsg #singapore #homeless #homelessness #community #housing #shelter

A proposed law aims to protect workers in Singapore against workplace discrimination, prohibiting discrimination against workers on five types of characteristics, including age, nationality and sex.   In this interview with CNA, IPS' Dr Mathew Mathews shared that such legislation provides organisations a clear understanding of consequences, making it an effective tool to curb workplace discrimination in most situations.    Nevertheless, he shares that legislation needs to be coupled with deeper cultural change to steer changes in behaviour. Dr Mathews also outlined how an ideal grievance handling mechanism in a company would look like, noting that it should have a clear structure, preserve confidentiality, and uphold fairness and accountability.   Watch the interview at the link in the comments.   #IPSsg #singapore #discrimination #workplace #law