In 2019, together with the National Archives of Singapore, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) embarked on the IPS Oral History Project. The project aimed to compile a series of interviews on the conceptualisation, establishment and development of IPS over the past three decades.
Oral history is a systematic collection of memories and knowledge of past events and periods. Interviewees with personal experiences — in this case, of the Institute’s formation and evolution, or day-to-day operations and activities — were interviewed. Prior to each interview, a preliminary interview was conducted to capture the angle of each interview, based on each interviewee’s personal experiences with or at IPS. Hence, no two interviews are similar.
In doing so, they provide a complete picture of what it was like to be part of IPS, its achievements and challenges, and for others affiliated with but not employed by IPS, how they saw their interactions with IPS. In all, a total of 29 interviews were conducted with IPS’ Founding Patron, the leadership of IPS, former and current staff, appointing governors and board members, as well as IPS Corporate Associates. The recorded interviews are preserved for posterity and are available on the National Archives’ website for research purposes, subject to interview access agreements.
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