IPS Update Issue September 2024

The Young Singaporeans Conference 2024, held on September 16th, centered on the critical issue of youth mental health. The event brought together over 80 young Singaporeans to engage in two panel discussions: “Mental Health Across Stages of Youth” and “Mental Health Provisions.”

The closing segment, led by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Health, focused on youth mental health post-COVID-19, government initiatives, and the importance of destigmatising mental health issues in society. Participants also presented discussions on social media’s impact, emotional resilience, and the need for community-based interventions. 

Click here to find out more about the event. 

15th S R Nathan Fellows for the Study of Singapore — Professor Lily Kong

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University (SMU), as the 15th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. 

Professor Kong will pursue research into the idea of the university and how it has evolved over time. She will be delivering three lectures examining the public value of universities, the potential and reality of their contributions to societal development, and how they reflect changing historical and societal conditions

Find out more in our press release here.

IPS RRIC Crossing Cultural Bridges Workshop

IPS is now offering "Crossing Cultural Bridges", a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training workshop under the IPS Programme on Race, Religion, and Intergroup Cohesion (RRIC). This workshop is tailored for companies in Singapore to enhance employees’ cultural intelligence and to help organisations achieve their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Unique for its use of biometric sensors and immersive technology, it is grounded in IPS' localised research and available as customisable half-day or full-day sessions.

Additionally, IPS also offers a comprehensive Diversity Health Check to provide organisations with actionable insights into their current DEI standing, identifying strengths and improvements.

To schedule a workshop for your organisation or find out more, visit the RRIC website here or contact decb64_aXBzLnJyaWNAbnVzLmVkdS5zZw==_decb64.

AJF Connect 2024 & AJF Editors’ Forum

The Asia Journalism Fellowship (AJF) celebrated its 15th anniversary and gathered 15 batches of AJF Fellows for the AJF Connect 2024 & Editors’ Forum from 22 to 25 August.

Funded by Temasek Foundation and hosted by IPS, the reunion featured a dialogue session with Minister Josephine Teo, a panel discussion on AI and Journalism, as well as presentations by past and current Fellows highlighting their AJF journeys and projects. 

A lunchtime roundtable with the 2024 Fellows, editors, and LSE Professor Charlie Beckett focused on the future of news amidst political and commercial pressures, competition, and the emergence of fake news.

It concluded with an informal brunch session discussing the impact of content creators on traditional journalism.

Learn more about AJF here and click here to view photos from the event. 

Commentary — Journalism in the age of AI: Balancing Innovation and Integrity
(The IPS Commons)
By Charlie Beckett
• 6-min read

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly enhance journalism by automating tasks and improving efficiency in newsrooms. However, would it bother you if you found out that what you are reading now had been written by AI?

In this commentary, Professor Charlie Beckett highlights that AI introduces ethical concerns and challenges related to trust and information quality. He emphasises the importance of using AI responsibly, maintaining transparency with readers and ensuring that human judgment remains central to journalistic practices to preserve integrity and trust in media.

Commentary — Harmony in the cross hairs: Lessons for Singapore from the UK riots
(The Straits Times)
By Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay
• 8-min read

The recent UK riots, marked by violence and targeted attacks on minority communities, serve as a stark warning for multicultural Singapore on how societal fault lines can quickly fracture into chaos. 

In this commentary, Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay argue that although Singapore’s context is different, issues like racism and populism could emerge if not proactively addressed. They stress the need for public education to promote media literacy and the cultivation of spaces for constructive dialogue to safeguard Singapore's social harmony.

Commentary — Singapore goes big on parental leave. Now for fathers and employers to step up
(The Straits Times)
By Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay
• 6-min read

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in his maiden National Day Rally speech, unveiled two initiatives for families and society: mandatory four-week government-paid paternity leave and a new 10-week shared parental leave scheme.

In this op-ed, Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay argue that these measures can promote gender equality and work-life balance by encouraging fathers to take on more caregiving responsibilities and urging employers to support these changes. 

However, the success of the policy depends on fathers fully embracing the changes and employers supporting flexible work arrangements. They also caution that if fathers do not fully utilise the extended leave options, it could reinforce gender disparities.

Commentary — Cherish more leave for dads, even if it doesn’t push up the birth rate
(The Straits Times)
By Kalpana Vignehsa
• 8-min read

In this commentary by Kalpana Vignehsa, she says that the announcement of the increase in in government-paid parental leave signals the government's strong commitment to fostering a more family-friendly society.

However, she cautions that the full potential of this policy may not be realised without greater support from employers and active participation from fathers. 

Kalpana advocates for employers to hire parental leave covers or consider setting aside the funds they save towards bonuses for team members who are picking up the slack.

She also suggests a "use-it-or-lose-it" system: Unless both parents take their individual leave allocations, they will not be eligible for the additional shared parental leave.

Commentary — ‘Frontload’ parenting and step back as your child grows
(The Straits Times)
By Tan Poh Lin
• 7-min read

With the announcement of an additional 10 weeks of shared parental leave for a child’s first year of life, the distinct stages of parenting come into focus. Why is this first year so crucial, and does it make sense to frontload leave entitlements for families?

In this commentary, Tan Poh Lin discusses the concept of ‘frontloading’ parenting. She emphasises intensive parental involvement in a child’s early years while advocating for stepping back as the child grows more independent. She argues that rejecting competitive parenting leads to healthier parent-child relationships, better personal development for parents, and a more sustainable family-centric society.

Commentary — Should I have children? Perhaps the only wrong answer is an unconsidered one
(ABC)
By Kalpana Vignehsa and Matthew Hammerton
• 5-min read

The decision to have children in today’s volatile world has never been more fraught. This commentary by Kalpana Vignehsa and Matthew Hammerton offers four perspectives to help understand the life-altering choice of whether to have children.

These perspectives include understanding the immediate sacrifices and long-term benefits, balancing individual desire and social responsibilities, weighing the potential decrease in personal well-being against the increase in life’s meaningfulness and the trade-offs between a career-focused life and a more balanced life enriched by diverse experiences. Ultimately, they argue that the only wrong answer to the question is an unconsidered one.

Report — Future-Ready Society Conference: Learning Journey 3 — Participedia

The Future-Ready Society Conference Series organised by IPS, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) and Tote Board, conducted its third learning journey titled "Participedia" on 13 August 2024. 

Participedia.net is a global network and crowdsourcing platform for policymakers, civil society organisations, practitioners and researchers interested in public participation and democratic innovations. Moderated by Dr Harvey Neo, the session featured insights from Dr Patrick Scully and Dr Paul Emiljanowicz, who provided a comprehensive overview of Participedia’s origins, evolution and future direction. 

The session concluded with a break-out and Q&A segment, where participants delved into the nuances of implementing democratic innovations in Singapore’s unique context and how Participedia could be adapted for this purpose.

Report — Pet Attachment and its Impact on Family Planning in Singapore

The first batch of fellows from the IPS News Fellowship recently completed their research reports as part of their fellowship. 

In his paper, Justin Ong from Today discusses how the rise in pet ownership has impacted the childbearing decisions of households. In his interviews with 26 pet-owning households, 11 of them reported an impact on their childbearing decisions, with views divided. Meanwhile, 14 households did not see pets influencing their fertility intentions but viewed them as integral family members.

Additionally, he argues that policymakers should then consider family structures that include both pets and children when making decisions.

Report — When Hawker Brands Expand: Impact and Implications of Commodification

In his paper, IPS News Fellow, Nigel Chua from Mothership explored the rise in mass-market brands in Singapore’s hawker centres, which adapt traditional dishes for efficiency and cost savings, driven by government productivity initiatives.

However, he argues that this trend could lead to a loss of authenticity, thus impacting Singapore’s hawker culture. The paper further examines how local hawker businesses respond to these pressures and the impact on their offerings.