Yeo Lay Hwee

Research Associate (1995 – 1998)

Dr Yeo Lay Hwee joined IPS in May 1995 as a research associate. She worked full-time at IPS for two years, then part-time (on IPS’ 10th Anniversary report) for a year until 1998. She mainly did research and preparation for the EU-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group meetings. While people were still trying to get a sense of what IPS stood for — as it was a relatively young institution then — they seemed quite excited about IPS’ work and its potential.

There was little fanfare about the Report of the EU-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group. It was overshadowed by the Asia-Europe Meeting, a larger forum that was launched in 1996. However, working at IPS on EU-ASEAN relations and attending various meetings and conferences allowed Dr Yeo to clarify her interests and gain a broader perspective of domestic and international issues. In addition, she had pleasant memories such as celebrating Professor Tommy Koh’s birthday, the cosy and inclusive environment at IPS, being treated as part of the IPS family even after she left, and the performances at IPS’ 10th anniversary celebration.

Institutional milestones she recalled included IPS’ service as secretariat for Pacific Business Council, the UNITAR Conference about peacekeeping and conflict resolution, and the Japan-Singapore Symposium. She saw the work with international organisations as linked to Prof Koh. IPS had since become much more domestically focused, and the think tank space had also evolved, with clearer niche areas for think tanks now compared to the past.


This interview was conducted on 9 Sep 2019. Click here to listen to the full interview.