IPS Update Issue February 2025

On 20 January 2025, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) held its flagship annual conference, Singapore Perspectives 2025 (SP2025), on the theme “Community”.

The physical conference gathered close to 1200 participants, featuring three panels that dove into how Singapore can strengthen its social fabric in an era of growing polarisation, and political and economic fragmentation. Each panel featured a pre-panel video with interviews featuring community organisations and their relationship with the state, business models and efforts in promoting community discourse. The event ended with a dialogue session with Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, who discussed key issues such as civil society’s role in policy advocacy and the government’s openness to constructive feedback and engagement.

Find out more about SP2025 here, and watch the introductory videos for the panels here.

Exploring Global Trade and Singapore’s Place as a World Connector” by Mr Tan Chong Meng, IPS’ 14th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore, was launched on 12 February 2025. The book compiles three lectures delivered by Mr Tan between March and May 2024, along with highlights of his Q&A sessions.

The launch was graced by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, he highlighted the need for Singapore to navigate challenges in global trade through diversification, decarbonisation and digitalisation. Additionally, for Singapore to secure its role as a leading maritime hub, Singapore must remain adaptable, deepen economic partnerships and embrace innovation. 

In his remarks, Mr Tan reflected on the interplay between trade and connectivity, highlighting Singapore’s pro-trade policies and the collaborative efforts in shaping a resilient global trade hub. He also emphasised the importance of aligning policy changes with clear understandings of connectivity implications.

Purchase the book here. Enjoy 20% off with the promo code WSIPS20, valid till 30th April 2025.

The First S R Nathan Fellowship Young Leaders Seminar

The Institute of Policy Studies is pleased to announce the launch of the S R Nathan Fellowship Young Leaders Seminar Series. The first seminar will be held on 24 February 2025.

Titled “Shaping Singapore's Climate Future: Achieving NDCs with the Use of Carbon Markets,” the seminar will focus on the crucial role of carbon markets in addressing climate change in Singapore.

The keynote will be delivered by Melissa Low, Research Fellow at NUS’s Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, who will present her research on transparency and accountability in carbon markets, offering insights into how policy frameworks can drive meaningful change.

Following the keynote, there will be a panel discussion on carbon markets and broader climate change issues, moderated by Kong Man Jing (Biogirl MJ), co-founder of Just Keep Thinking, an Instagram page focused on science, biodiversity, and sustainability. The panel will also feature Rueban Manokara, Global Lead, Carbon Finance and Markets Taskforce at the World Wide Fund for Nature – International (WWF), and Ho Xiang Tian, co-founder of LepakInSG, an informal environmental group.

Click here to learn more about the event and sign up for the seminar here.

MOE x NIE x IPS Lecture: From Foundations to Frontiers – A 60-Year Education Journey

On 11 February 2025, Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing delivered the MOE-NIE-IPS Lecture, titled “From Foundations to Frontiers – A 60-Year Education Journey”. He traced the evolution of the Singaporean education system, highlighting key milestones such as bilingualism, PSLE, streaming, and a shift towards holistic curricula and diverse pathways. Highlighting global trends like technological advancements and protectionism, he emphasised the need to foster adaptability and bridge-building through diversity by promoting customised learning, beyond-classroom education, and upskilling educators.

The lecture concluded with a panel moderated by President of Singapore University of Social Sciences, Professor Tan Tai Yong featuring Minister Chan, Prof Liu Woon Chia, National Institute of Education Director, and A/P Elmie Nekmat, Vice Dean of Students at NUS. Discussions spanned educational technology, class sizes and equity and the panel discussed the impact of the tuition industry on equity and the potential of alternative assessments to provide a more holistic evaluation of students’ abilities.

Commentary — Deepfake nude apps are ruining lives and have no place in app stores
(The Straits Times)
By Chew Han Ei
• 6-min read

AI deepfake technology has become a significant global threat, with a recent incident in Singapore highlighting its dangers. In November 2024, police investigated the creation and circulation of deepfake nude photos of Singapore Sports School students by their classmates.

In this commentary, Chew Han Ei highlights the severe harm caused by deepfake nude apps and calls for urgent action to address their misuse through stricter regulation, accountability for tech companies, victim support and education to tackle root causes. He argues that a holistic and coordinated approach would be crucial in effectively combating this growing issue.

Commentary — 我们是否已达致种族和谐？
(Lianhe Zaobao)
By Teo Kay Key
• 8-min read

The recent IPS Survey on Race, Religion, and Language revealed that Singaporeans generally rate the current levels of racial and religious harmony quite highly, with over 70% of respondents believing that Singapore enjoys a high or very high degree of racial harmony.

In this op-ed, Teo Kay Key argues that while Singapore has made significant progress, there is still room for improvement, particularly in fostering deeper inter-racial understanding and relationships. 
 
She notes that while more than 60% of Chinese respondents feel current dialogues on race are sufficient, less than half of the minority respondents feel the same way.  

Commentary — S’pore society needs to step up to preserve racial, religious harmony
(The Straits Times)
By Melvin Tay
• 7-min read

The recent IPS-OnePeople.sg Indicators of Racial and Religious Harmony 2024 study reveals encouraging findings: 65.4% of Singaporeans rated racial and religious harmony as high or very high, up from 57.1% in 2018. Trust between communities is also on the rise, and most Singaporeans value diversity as a cornerstone of our social fabric.

In this commentary, Melvin Tay highlights that while Singapore’s policies have been instrumental in fostering cohesion, true harmony requires more than government intervention. It calls for active participation from all of us to engage in open conversations, promote inclusion, and strengthen trust across communities.

He also stresses the importance of strengthening civic participation, prioritising digital literacy, and fostering integration beyond housing to ensure Singapore’s multicultural identity remains a source of strength.

IPS Working Paper No. 59 — Results from the IPS-OnePeople.sg Indicators of Racial and Religious Harmony 2024

The IPS-OnePeople.sg Indicators of Racial and Religious Harmony has sought to provide a ground-up evaluation of the state of harmony in Singapore. Over the past decade, this study has provided insights into how different racial and religious communities perceive harmony, trust, and social cohesion in one of the world's most diverse multicultural societies.

Riding on the IPS Survey on Race, Religion and Language, this study builds on comparable data from 2018 and 2013. Trust and acceptance have improved since 2018, with more residents valuing diversity and reporting reduced workplace discrimination. However, issues like stereotyping, exclusion, and disparities in personal relationships persist, particularly among minorities, underscoring the need for deeper integration and equitable opportunities.

IPS Working Papers No. 60 — Faultlines in Singapore: Perceptions and Management with a Focus on Race and Religion

Based on the third iteration of the IPS Survey on Race, Religion, and Language, conducted from April to August 2024, this working paper covers the strong public concern over managing societal faultlines, with race and religion as the most sensitive. 

Most respondents support the government’s current role in fostering harmony and policies promoting racial diversity and fairness. While satisfaction with racial and religious harmony is high, younger respondents and minorities express less satisfaction, with younger individuals more inclined toward online collective action in response to racism.