MAHIZHNAN, Arun

Arun Mahizhnan is Special Research Adviser at the Institute of Policy Studies.

He undertakes selected special projects at the Institute. Currently, he is leading the effort to publish Singapore Chronicles, a 50-volume book series to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s Independence. He was previously Deputy Director and the head of the Arts, Culture and Media research cluster in IPS. His past research interests also included business issues such as the regionalisation of the Singapore economy and development of entrepreneurship.

Arun was also concurrently an Adjunct Professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information at the Nanyang Technological University till 2017.

Before joining IPS in 1991, he had worked in both the public and private sectors for 20 years, mostly in public communication fields. The appointments he has held include CEO, Hill & Knowlton; Public Affairs Manager, Mobil Oil Singapore; and Senior Producer, Radio Television Singapore.

Research Interests

Arts, culture and media

Publications

• Mahizhnan, A. (forthcoming). Conceiving, creating and conjuring a Renaissance city. In T. Chong (Ed.), A history of arts and cultural policies in Singapore. Singapore: NUS Press.
• Mahizhnan, A. (forthcoming). Tamil language literature in Singapore. In T. A. Koh, C. L. Tan, R. Hadijah, & A. Mahizhnan, Singapore chronicles: Literature. Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and Straits Times Press.
• Tan, T. H., Mahizhnan, A., & Ang, P. H. (Eds.). (2016). Battle for hearts and minds: New media and elections in Singapore. Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and World Scientific Publishing.
• Mahizhnan, A. (2016). Rashomon effect: Introduction. In T. H. Tan, A. Mahizhnan, & P. H. Ang (Eds.), Battle for hearts and minds: New media and elections in Singapore (pp. xv–xxxii). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and World Scientific Publishing.
• Tan, T. H., Mahizhnan, A., & Ang, P. H. (2016). Not quite an “Internet” election: Survey of media use of voters. In T. H. Tan, A. Mahizhnan, & P. H. Ang (Eds.), Battle for hearts and minds: New media and elections in Singapore (pp. 1–27). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and World Scientific Publishing.
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Mahizhnan, A. (Ed.). (2015). Singapore chronicles (Vols. 1-10). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and Straits Times Press.
Soon, C., Mahizhnan, A., Juhairi, S., Das, N., Sim, J. L., & Nur, A.A. (2015). Study on Chinese, Malay and Tamil blogospheres in Singapore. IPS Exchange Series No.3.
Baum, S., & Mahizhnan, A. (Eds.). (2014). E-governance and social inclusion: Concepts and cases. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Baum, S., & Mahizhnan, A. (2014). Government-with-you: E-government in Singapore. In S. Baum, & A. Mahizhnan (Eds.), E-governance and social inclusion: Concepts and cases (pp. 229–242). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Mahizhnan, A. (2014). Government and social inclusion: Concepts. In S. Baum, & A. Mahizhnan (Eds.), E-governance and social inclusion: Concepts and cases (pp. 1–9).  Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Welsh, B., Chin, J., Mahizhnan, A., & Tan, T. H. (Eds.). (2009). Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong years in Singapore. Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and NUS Press.
Koh, T., Lee, T.Y., & Mahizhnan, A. (2009). Integrating the business community in the APEC process: Genesis of the Pacific business forum. In K. Kesavapany, & H. Lim (Eds.), APEC at 20: Recall, reflect, remake (pp. 97–103). Singapore: ISEAS.
Mahizhnan, A. (2009). Networked society in an intelligent nation. In B. Welsh, J. Chin, A. Mahizhnan & T. H. Tan (Eds.), Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong years in Singapore (pp. 409–421). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and NUS Press.
Baum, S., & Mahizhnan, A. (2009). Public participation in e-government: Some questions about social inclusion in the Singapore model. In C. C. Silva (Ed.),  Handbook of research on E-planning (pp. 324-339). Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.
Baum, S., Yigitcanlar, T., Mahizhnan, A., & Andiappan, A. (2008). E-government in the knowledge society: The Singapore case. In T. Yigitcanlar, K. Velibeyoglu & S. Baum (Eds.), Creative urban regions: Harnessing urban technologies to support knowledge city initiatives (pp. 132–147). New York: Information Science Reference.
Baum, S., Yigitcanlar, T., Mahizhnan, A., & Andiappan, A. (2007). Singapore government online: A consideration of e-government outcomes. Journal of E-Government,  3(4), 65–84.
Mahizhnan, A. (2007). The economic impact of culture and creative industries. In C. L. Medeiros (Ed.), Cultura, Factor de Ciracao de Riqueza (pp. 59–72). Lisbon: Fundacao Oriente.
Mahizhnan, A. & Tan, T. H. (2006). Big stick, soft touch; big stick, hard ball: Variations in political Internet censorship. Media Asia, 33(1-2).
Koh, T., Tan, K. G., & Mahizhnan, A. (Eds.). (2002). The IFER (IPS Forum on Economic Restructuring) report. Singapore: Times Academic Press for the Institute of Public Policy.
Mahizhnan, A. (2002). Media proliferation: Bane or boon. Media Asia, 29(3), 141–145.
Tan, H., & Mahizhnan, A. (Eds.). (2002). Broadcast media in Asean. Singapore: ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information.
Kuo, E., Choi, A., Mahizhnan, A., Lee, W. P., & Soh, C. (2002). Internet in Singapore: A study on usage and impact. Singapore: Times Academic Press.
Mahizhnan, A., Kwok, K. W., & Sasitharan, T. (Eds.). (2001). Selves: State of the arts in Singapore. Singapore: National Arts Council.
Mahizhnan, A. (2000). Singapore: Information technology in an intelligent island. In D. Singh (Ed.),  Southeast Asian affairs 2000 (pp. 276–281). Singapore: ISEAS.
Mahizhnan, A. (1999). Smart cities: The Singapore case. Cities, 16(1), 13–18.
Mahizhnan, A., & Lee, T. Y. (Eds.). (1998). Singapore: Re-engineering success. Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies & Oxford University Press.
Yeo, S., & Mahizhnan, A. (1998). Developing an intelligent island: Dilemmas of censorship. In A. Mahizhnan & L. T. Yuan (Eds.), Singapore: Re-engineering success (pp. 138–149). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and Oxford University Press.
Mahizhnan, A. (1996). The changing face of public relations in the Asia Pacific region. Media Asia, 23(3), 170–172.
Mahizhnan, A. (1994). Developing Singapore’s external economy. In D. Singh (Ed.),  Southeast Asian affairs 1994 (pp. 285–304). Singapore: ISEAS.
Mahizhnan, A. (1993). Heritage and contemporary values. Singapore: Times Academic Press for the Institute of Policy Studies.
Lee, T. Y., & Mahizhnan, A. (1992). MNCs and local enterprise development: The case of Singapore’s manufacturing sector. Borneo Review, 3, 152–179.
Rasheed, Z. A., & Mahizhnan, A. (1990). The new environment, the young Singaporeans and national values. In J. S. T. Quah (Ed.), In search of Singapore’s national values (pp. 80–90). Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies and Times Academic Press.

Op-eds/Commentaries

• Mahizhnan, A. (2019, April 23). Beyond a Founders' Memorial, build a monument to the people. The Straits Times.
• Mahizhnan, A. (2013, April 26). Balancing artistic freedom, public good. The Straits Times.  
• Mahizhnan, A. (2012, September 16). Why not an electronic Hansard of public opinion?. Singapolitics.
• Mahizhnan, A. (2012, January–March). New media and politics: Can old rules apply?. Global-is-Asian.
• Mahizhnan, A. & Tan, T. H. (2008, September 10). AIMS report on new media: A new assumption and a leap of faith. The Straits Times.
  
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Mahizhnan, A. (1993, April 7). That second wing: How big a span?. The Business Times.

Mahizhnan, A. (1993, February 27–28). Corporate networking: Where to next. Trends, ISEAS.
Mahizhnan, A. (1992, September 24). Cross-cultural communications in a global village. Trends, ISEAS.
Mahizhnan, A. (1991, September 29). How Asian is hard work?. Trends, ISEAS.

Conference Participation and Presentations/Speeches

• Presenter with Tan, T. H., “New Asia: Projecting soft power”, at the International Symposium on New Asian Imaginations, organised by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, 1-2 August 2008.
• Presenter with Tan, T. H., “Subverting seriousness and other misdemeanours: Modes of resistance against OB markers in the 2006 Singapore General Election”, at the 17th Annual Conference of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre on Changing Media, Changing Societies: Media and the Millennium Development Goals, Manila, 14-17 July 2008.   
• Presenter, “Media proliferation: Bane or boon”, at the 11th Annual Conference of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre on Media, Terrorism and A Culture of Peace, Perth, 26-28 June 2002.
• Presenter with Narayanan, A., “E-government: The Singapore case”, at the 5th International Conference on Tamil Internet, organised by The International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil, California, 27-29 September 2002.   
• Presenter, “Governance in cyberspace: Light touch on the net”, at the Conference on Governance and Cyberspace: The Substance After the Sizzle, organised by the International Institute of Communications, Singapore, 1-4 October 2001.
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Presenter with Kuo, E., “Governing the Internet regime: Is national interest definable and defendable by the state in the Internet era?”, at the Internet Political Economy Conference, organised by the National University of Singapore, Singapore, 14-15 September 2001.
Presenter, “Cultural hegemony vs diversity in the new information age”, at the 10th Annual Conference of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Makati City (Philippines), 27-29 June 2001.
Presenter, “Digital divide: Deepening or diminishing”, at the Williamsburg Conference, organised by The Asia Society, Okinawa, Japan, 17-19 March 2001. 

Courses taught

• Media management, Master of Mass Communication Programme, Nanyang Technological University.
• Strategic Public Relations, Master of Mass Communication Programme, Nanyang Technological University.
• Media, Public Opinion & Public Policy, Master of Public Policy Administration Programme, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Awards

• Life Time Achievement Award, Institute of Public Relations, Singapore
• Fellow, Institute of Public Relations, Singapore

Committees/Directorships

• Chair, Board of Directors, Intercultural Theatre Institute
• Member, National Library Advisory Committee
• Member, MINDEF Strategic Communications Expert Panel
• Member, National Translation Committee