What's more controversial than coal, harder to build than a dam, and suddenly, back on Southeast Asia's policy agenda? Nuclear. For years, it was too politically sensitive. Too scary and too expensive. But now, demand from industry, data centres and urbanisation is making it necessary for governments to look again. Renewables can definitely help, but they have limits. So nuclear, especially Small Modular Reactors, is being reconsidered. In Singapore, the issue is also moving from hypothetical debate to formal assessment. From 2027, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will assess Singapore's nuclear infrastructure readiness. Though the government has emphasised that this is not a decision to adopt nuclear, but part of a rigorous three-phase assessment. So nuclear isn't just an engineering question. It's about trust, safety, public fear, and what happens when risk crosses borders.

Can Southeast Asia balance digital expansion with its clean energy priorities? As global demand surges for cloud computing, e-commerce, and generative artificial intelligence (AI), ASEAN states are emerging as critical nodes in the global digital infrastructure landscape. A major component of this growth is the expansion of the region’s data centres, fuelled by significant investment from foreign Big Tech.

Dr Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, author of "Much More Than a Market," and Dean of IE University’s School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs, made the case for a more integrated Europe at a dialogue hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Administrative reform is never merely a technical exercise. The bureaucratic structure of a state constitutes its institutional load-bearing system, shaping how authority is exercised, resources are allocated and public value is delivered. Altering this structure is akin to removing the central columns of a skyscraper: while the promise is a leaner and more open design, the remaining foundations must instantaneously absorb immense pressure to prevent institutional failure.