Singapore Perspectives 2025 "Community"

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) will hold its annual flagship Singapore Perspectives (SP) conference, on 20 January 2025.  
  
The theme of SP2025 will be “Community”. The world today is being pulled apart by polarisation, political and economic fragmentation, and a myriad other disruptive forces. Singapore is not immune. It is with this in mind that SP2025 focuses on “Community”. In the 60th year of Singapore’s independence, we ask: What might bind us more strongly together as a people and a nation as we confront these challenges? 

The government continues with its efforts of nation-building through initiatives such as Forward Singapore. But what have Singaporeans done or can do — individually and collectively — from the ground up? What more can we do beyond volunteering or giving feedback? How do we rethink the relationships between the government and the private as well as people sectors for a fairer, stronger community? How do we halt the erosion of what we have in common, and reinvigorate the ties between individuals, families and neighbours? SP2025 will address these key questions and more. 
 
The Closing Dialogue will be with Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong.
  
Other prominent panellists include: Ambassador Chan Heng Chee (Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Mr Laurence Lien (Lien Foundation); Mr Chng Kai Fong (Ministry of Digital Development and Information); Professor Arnoud De Meyer (Stewardship Asia Centre); Dr Aaron Maniam (University of Oxford); Professor Cherian George (Hong Kong Baptist University); Associate Professor Daniel Goh (National University of Singapore); Associate Professor Teo You Yenn (Nanyang Technological University); and Ms Catherine Loh (Community Foundation of Singapore).
  
Please click here to view the programme. 

Media Coverage
• 8world. 2025. 我国推出计划助新移民融入社区 促进社会规范适应. 20 Jan.
• Berita Harian. 2025. Perlu hormat pandangan berbeza untuk bina perpaduan sosial. 20 Jan.
• Berita Mediacorp. 2025. Model CMIO harus sentiasa disemak semula sedang landskap berbilang budaya jadi kian kompleks: Edwin Tong. 20 Jan.
• Channel NewsAsia. 2025. CMIO model should be constantly reviewed as multiculturalism becomes more complex: Edwin Tong. 20 Jan.
• Lianhe Zaobao. 2025. 新加坡人挚友渐少 更倾向与收入水平相当者来往. 20 Jan.
• Lianhe Zaobao. 2025. 强大社群及强大国家可并存 两者都能对改善社会发挥积极作用. 20 Jan.
• Lianhe Zaobao. 2025. 新加坡持续成功关键 唐振辉：保留多元空间建立坚实集体意识. 21 Jan.
• Mothership. 2025. Can S'pore relook immigration policies to prioritise talent, ties to S'pore over maintaining racial quotas?. 20 Jan.
• Mothership. 2025. Govt needs to 'radically rethink' way it engages with social issues to combat polarisation: Cherian George. 20 Jan.
• Mothership. 2025. Is S'pore losing out on critical thinking now that Yale-NUS is closing?. 20 Jan.
• Mothership. 2025. Maintaining social cohesion in S'pore could even be harder than building social cohesion: Edwin Tong. 20 Jan.
• Mothership. 2025. Govt seeks 'plurality of voices' & accepts contrary views as long as they are constructive: Edwin Tong. 21 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Cherian George criticises Singapore’s top-down approach, urges collaborative engagement with civil society. 20 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Chan Heng Chee and Cherian George spar over critical thinking in Singapore’s universities. 21 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Edwin Tong praises Singapore’s cohesion but stays silent on claims govt views civil groups as threats. 21 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Netizens ask Edwin Tong to define ‘constructive’ amid comments on Govt embracing ‘plurality in voices’. 21 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Paul Tambyah urges rethink of immigration policy to prioritise talent, belief, and ties over quotas. 21 Jan.
• The Online Citizen. 2025. Pruning the banyan: balancing governance and growth in Singapore’s political ecosystem. 21 Jan.
• The Straits Times. 2025. Foster deeper understanding to find position acceptable to most as society changes: Edwin Tong. 20 Jan.
• The Straits Times. 2025. Signs of social cohesion coming under strain in Singapore: IPS director. 21 Jan.