In the Spotlight
“Singapore’s Financial Sector: How did we arrive, how do we thrive?” by Mr Piyush Gupta, IPS 17th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore was launched on 17 August 2026. The book compiles three lectures delivered by Mr Gupta between October and December 2025, along with highlights of his Q&A sessions.
The launch was attended by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for National Development and Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Mr Chee described Mr Gupta as both an outstanding corporate leader and a deep thinker. He noted that a central theme of the book was how Singapore's long-term success depends on continuously balancing innovation with trust and stability while constantly reinventing ourselves ahead of major shifts in global finance. He also shared the need to be open to new ideas and possibilities, as well as to be prepared to take some calculated risks, citing the work of the Equities Market Review Group and Growth Capital Workgroup as examples.
Following Mr Chee, Mr Gupta shared that the book draws on his four decades in banking to tell a universal story of trust, boldness and reinvention, and urged Singapore not to grow risk-averse despite its success.
Purchase the book
here
. Enjoy 20% off with promo code WSIPS20.
Announcements
 | New Book Examines Lee Hsien Loong’s Two Decades as Prime Minister
A new book from IPS examines Mr Lee Hsien Loong’s two decades as Singapore’s third Prime Minister, spanning the Global Financial Crisis, COVID-19 and a more contested US–China relationship. Edited by Gillian Koh, Chua Mui Hoong and Terence Ho, its 23 essays assess what worked, what did not, and what remains for the 4G leadership. Published by World Scientific, launching 8 September 2026.
Get the book
here
and read the press release
here.
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 | Asia Journalism Fellowship — 2026 Fellows
The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) is proud to announce that 19 journalists from 15 countries have been selected for this year’s Asia Journalism Fellowship (AJF) — chosen from over 200 applications across the region.
Hosted by IPS in partnership with Temasek Foundation, the fellows have completed the online segment of the programme and have now arrived in Singapore this August for their residency.
Click
here
to find out more about AJF 2026.
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Recent Events
Citizens ReAssembled – AI and Creatives Workshop 4
Held on 15 August, the fourth and final workshop of IPS-REACH's Citizens ReAssembled on the creative industry brought together 51 participants who presented 17 policy proposals developed over 29 days — spanning content labelling, educational campaigns and a collective license, ethical and legal frameworks, and targeted funding.
Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Ministry of Health and Chairman of REACH Mr Tan Kiat How and Member of the GPC for Culture, Community and Youth Ms Valerie Lee were in attendance, sharing feedback with participants.
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Identity Politics: Challenges Facing Our National Identity
On 3 August, IPS Director Janadas Devan joined young Singaporeans for a conversation on national identity, moderated by Xu Zirong, a JC1 student and founder of youth-led think tank Zeitgeist.
Discussions covered race, religion, immigration, class and economic change and how these shape cohesion and identity.
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Articles | Commentary — The other recession risk that Singapore should be wary of
By Nicholas Thomas, Wong Kang Li and Wilson Goh
(CNA)
• 7-min read Married couples with children now form less than half of Singapore’s households, while the average number of close friends Singaporeans report has fallen from 10.67 to 6.49 in 2024. This commentary warns of a "social recession" risk, proposing neighbourly time banks, small citizen assemblies and more low-stakes community spaces.
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