IPS Update Issue June 2021

On 3 June 2021, the Institute of Policy Studies held the inaugural IPS Women’s Conference, titled Gender Equality in Singapore: An Action Plan for Progress. The conference aimed to navigate the issues of gender imbalance and identify best practices for policy action to build a gender inclusive society.

Through a series of panel discussions and dialogues, the one-day virtual conference brought together more than 800 thought leaders, academics, activists and community leaders to discuss the challenges Singaporean women face in a changing world. It featured an opening address by President Halimah Yacob and closed with a dialogue featuring Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam and Deputy Organising Secretary of The Workers’ Party He Ting Ru.

Videos recordings of all of this year’s forums can be found here, and you can read our event summary here.

Event Summary — 8th IPS-Nathan Lecture Series: Lecture III "Reset: Men, Women, Violence" by Corinna Lim
By IPS Public Affairs
• 7-min read

8th S R Nathan Fellow Ms Corinna Lim’s IPS-Nathan lectures, titled Gender Equality: The Time Has Come, have just concluded, with her third and final lecture, Reset: Men, Women, Violence taking place on 24 May — the 60th anniversary of the Women’s Charter. It was moderated by former NMP Ms Eunice Olsen. 

The lecture zeroed in on gender violence and the harmful norms of masculinity that are prevalent in Singapore. In her lecture, she recommended the establishment of specialised support centres for men, the reassessing of sex education curricula in schools, and a review of National Service to eradicate toxic masculine practices.

Event summaries for her first two lectures, Herstory: The Road to Equality and The Caring Economy, are also available.

Commentary — Vax and the City
(The Straits Times)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 5-min read

“What makes cities so vulnerable to an infectious disease outbreak? And is there a future for cities in the post-Covid world?” How do cities innovate and combat COVID-19? IPS’ Woo Jun Jie tells us more on The Straits Times. 

Commentary — The disabled and the arts in Singapore
(The Straits Times)
By Tommy Koh
• 9-min read

“My dream is that, one day, all our disabled citizens will feel like first-class citizens.” Chronicling the talents of local disabled artists, as well as the numerous initiatives undertaken by VSA Singapore to foster inclusion in the arts since its inception, IPS’ Special Advisor Prof Tommy Koh notes on The Straits Times that public opinion towards the disabled is still “sub-optimal”.

Commentary — Death is not the only truth
(IPS Commons)
By Asad Latif 
• 3-min read

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to endure, the notion of death has undoubtedly surfaced on the minds of many. In this IPS Commons piece, Asad Latif questions the prevailing emphasis on death as he reflects on the multitude of truths that surround our pandemic-stricken reality, reminding us of the vibrance of life, love, and community. As Asad writes, “death cannot be the only truth”.

Commentary — Here comes the future
(IPS Commons)
By Asad Latif
• 3-min read

The sudden change in the succession plans of the Singapore leadership draws attention to the role of unpredictability in politics.  Asad Latif argues in this IPS Commons piece that the key issue following Mr Heng Swee Keat’s decision to step aside is the need to visualise the way in which collective leadership can continue to function in Singapore.

Projek Bicara is guided by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Research Fellow Dr Shamsuri Juhari and launched by a group of NUS alumni, undergraduate, and postgraduate students. It aims to facilitate conversations among Malay-Muslim Singaporean youths on issues related to the notion of social capital. This initiative comes under the auspices of IPS’ Malay-Muslim Research Network. Over the next few months, Projek Bicara plans to organise focus group discussions and interviews with Malay-Muslim youths.

On 6 May 2021, the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) Policy Lab and Tote Board kick-started a year-long series of seminars and learning journeys as part of the Transforming the Non-Profit Sector (TNPS) project. This series will culminate in October 2021 in a flagship conference on the theme, Using Research and Evidence for Social Impact. 

The opening seminar was held virtually and saw over 150 invited participants from the non-profit and public sectors discuss the existing and potential uses of research and evidence in their work.

Since 2017, the Institute of Policy Studies has worked with different agencies on three citizens’ panels. 

Senior Research Fellow Dr Carol Soon and her team analysed the application of this engagement process, examining Singaporeans’ readiness in taking part in citizens’ panels, the impact of these panels on policymaking, as well as present gaps in public service.

The Institute of Policy Studies conducted a roundtable to re-examine the Singapore economy and its policy measures to develop a more resilient and vibrant economy. Singapore could achieve this by transforming itself as a hub for innovation and also to prototype innovations and seek pathways to commercialise these prototypes. To focus exclusively on start-ups and relying only on private or foreign venture capitalists neglects the commercial pathway opportunities to create global corporate brands and Singapore’s own start-up unicorn companies (over $1 billion valuation). 

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the arts sector in Singapore. With the implementation of social distancing regulations, many artists and arts groups have questioned the meaning, relevance, and future of their practice. In this 10th series of the IPS-NGS-SAM Spotlight on Cultural Policy Series, jointly organised by IPS, the National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum, artists from various disciplines discussed some of their existing concerns and the possible ways to overcome them as they move forward. 

Civil society in Singapore is often understood as insular, actively seeking to minimise foreign influence due to legislative safeguards that deter such links. However, with growing recognition of important cross-border social and environmental issues, the pervasive use of online networks, and an appreciation that regional blocs provide greater heft to protecting the common interests of individual states, there are increasing connections among states and civil society across Asia, including Singapore. 

Writing in Transnational Civil Society in Asia, IPS' Deputy Director (Research), Dr Gillian Koh, and former research assistant, Mr Dhevarajan Devadas, examine the transnational connections between Singapore activists and their Asian counterparts for the advocacy on human trafficking.