IPS Update Issue October 2014

IPS Conference on Race, Language and Religion

Over 250 researchers, policy makers and community leaders attended an IPS Conference to discuss the state of social harmony along racial, linguistic and religious lines. Among the issues raised were whether English should be considered as a mother tongue language for Singaporeans and if we need to rethink race as our primary identity marker.

IPS Young Singaporeans Conference 2014: “Game-Changers”

Around 80 Singaporeans aged between 25 and 35 took part in the biennial Young Singaporeans Conference (YSC) last month, going through an envisioning exercise to deliberate the possible scenarios Singapore society might have to grapple with in future. They engaged in lively exchanges with the conference speakers: Senior Minister of State (Law and Education) Indranee Rajah; Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Kishore Mahbubani; and Ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan.

IPS Corporate Associates Lunch: Four Former NMPs Reflect on Their Time in the House

The Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) who entered the House after the hotly-contested 2011 General Election took part in debates on sometimes controversial and contentious policy issues, such as the Population White Paper. Four of these former NMPs – Faizah Jamal, Janice Koh, Eugene Tan and Laurence Lien – fielded questions at a recent lunch on their “unfinished business” and whether they would eventually go into politics.

First IPSCommons Debate – The “Nays” Have It

A recent IPSCommons debate on whether it was time for Singapore to consider a right-to-die bill pit law professor and diplomat Tommy Koh against Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon. Around 65% of voters supported Dr Solomon, with highly-engaged readers commenting from both sides.

IPS Exchange Series: Towards Ageing Well – Aspirations, Challenges and Initiatives

Society has always been fixated on the biological aspect of ageing but what of the social and emotional dimensions of the process? A new IPS publication discusses the factors needed for successful ageing, including lifelong learning, optimism in employability and social gerontology.

A Dialogue on Secularism and Religion: French and Singaporean Approaches

While France and Singapore are multi-religious societies that maintain a separation between government and religious institutions, differences exist in how secular traditions are upheld in both countries. Such commonalities and differences, and the issue of responding to extremist groups, were discussed during a recent IPS dialogue session.

IPS Lunch Dialogue: Gaining from Disorder

Volatility and disorder are often viewed negatively. But to Professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb, shocks and unexpected events could make a system stronger and “antifragile”. Speaking to IPS Corporate Associates on the idea of “antifragility”, he proposed how society can become more “antifragile” and put this concept within the context of global concerns like climate change and the Ebola epidemic.

IPS Closed-Door Discussion: Human Capital for SMEs in Singapore

Human capital issues are one of the greatest challenges SMEs face, and with the current economic restructuring, there is an added urgency to address those problems that pose an obstacle to business development. However, to overcome them, the complex factors at play must first be properly grasped.

New Book on E-Governance and Social Inclusion

The recently published book E-Governance and Social Inclusion: Concepts and Cases examines the implementation of technology in government and the overall implications across political, social and economic environments. Co-edited by IPS Special Research Adviser Arun Mahizhnan, the book also features case studies of actual E-Government practices in seven countries, including Singapore.

Tommy Koh: A Diplomat’s Secret Weapon

We tend to attribute the close diplomatic relations between countries to the astute work of ambassadors. Less recognised are the contributions of their wives. Often working behind-the-scenes, they are actively engaged in the social, cultural and philanthropic life of the city they are based in, not to mention building networks with the wives of other ambassadors.

Henry Ho and Varian Lim: A Morale Booster for More? How the New IPPT Scoring System Stacks up Against the Old

Since its announcement, the new IPPT format and scoring system has attracted a debate on its merits to servicemen. Looking at the sit-up and 2.4km run components, it seems that the revamped system provides a morale booster for servicemen struggling to pass the test. However, at the same time, the bar for test takers aiming for top marks is being raised.