| Newsletter Special |
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The "I am not alone" effect in cyberspace
What makes 2008 such a unique year for the Singapore blogosphere? According to IPS Senior Research Fellow Tan Tarn How, there is a growing “I am not alone” mindset, similar to what has happened in the Malaysian general election last year, that has encouraged and emboldened blogger-activists to take their activity to unprecedented levels in 2008.
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| Upcoming Events |
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Gain insights into global CEOs' plans and concerns
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been tracking CEOs' forecasts on topline challenges of concern across industries. Since the fallout from the current financial crisis, CEO confidence is at an all-time low. As CEOs review their plans for the future, what are their top concerns, what do they expect from regulators and what trends do they foresee in the markets? Based on findings from the annual CEO thought leadership publication, the presentation by Mr Gautam Banerjee, Executive Chairman, PwC LLP (Singapore) will draw insights from the current economic downturn and highlight the imperatives that will drive companies from survival to sustainable profits.
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New survey series launched with look at economic resilience
IPS is launching a new survey series called the Perception of Policies in Singapore Survey, or POPS for short. It provides a snap-shot of attitudes relating to public policy issues of the day. The first round, titled ‘Resilience in the Economic Crisis’, has been completed, suggesting that the ethic of self-reliance and resilience among Singapore residents is strong even with the necessary and timely social support that is offered to certain groups to help them cope in adversity. The findings of the survey will be available on the IPS website (http://www.lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/ips) from Monday, 4 May.
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Questions for Singapore in the medium to long term
Close to 630 participants from academia, business, civil society and government attended IPS' flagship conference, Singapore Perspectives 2009 on 19 January 2009 at the Shangri-la Hotel. During the day-long conference, guest speakers from various segments of Singapore society spoke on four fundamental questions that Singapore confronts today. In a new section of the conference programme, participants were also polled on their opinions on these four questions.
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Academics, practitioners and policy-makers discuss ways to empower vulnerable families
What does a vulnerable family look like? What are the challenges that present themselves in formulating policies to help these families? How do we evaluate the impact of social services programmes? These questions and other topics such as family policy research and research ethics were discussed at the 2nd Family Research Network Forum held at the Civil Service College.
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Greater offline impact by Singapore blogosphere
Great strides have been made by blogger-activists in making an impact on the broader national conversation in 2008, although some limitations remain. This was communicated at an IPS seminar on 4 March 2009, where IPS Senior Research Fellow Tan Tarn How and Research Assistant Tan Simin presented their work-in-progress findings on recent developments in Singapore’s political blogosphere.
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Singapore’s future development lies in moving “from Host to Home”, says EDB Chairman
Mr Lim Siong Guan, Chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB), spoke at a recent IPS Corporate Associates Breakfast about EDB’s past contributions to Singapore’s economic development, its present work, as well as the preparation undertaken for the future. Speaking to an audience made up of academics and captains of industry, Mr Lim said that Singapore’s economic development rests on creating the right conditions for talents and businesses to not only come to Singapore, but also to see Singapore as their home.
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IPS Co-sponsors 7th Japan-Singapore Symposium
Remaining committed to trade liberalisation and globalization amidst the global financial crisis. Building an open and inclusive East Asian community. Re-examining the Asian growth model. Joint Japan-Singapore initiatives on sustainable development. All of these topics were on the agenda of the 7th Japan-Singapore Symposium held in Tokyo from 23 to 24 February 2009.
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US Expert: Global economic recovery likely
Prof Bradford DeLong from the University of California, Berkeley, spoke on the measures that have been taken by various central banks and governments in order to mitigate the effects of the current economic crisis. Noting certain differences between the current crisis and the Great Depression, Prof DeLong expressed confidence that measures that have been taken would work in promoting a recovery at a breakfast seminar jointly organised by IPS and the Economic Society of Singapore
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The Making of the ASEAN Charter launched
The Making of the ASEAN Charter, edited by IPS Chairman Tommy Koh, Ambassador Rosario Gonzalez-Manalo and Singapore Attorney-General Walter Woon, was launched on 22 February 2009 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The publication captures insider insight into the drafting of the ASEAN Charter, which was signed in 2007, the 40th anniversary of the regional grouping.
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US encouraged to take the lead in combating piracy
Piracy has grown to alarming proportions in the Gulf of Aden and in the sea off Somalia. IPS Chairman Professor Tommy Koh and Professor Robert Beckman of the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore urge the US in an International Herald Tribune column to take the lead in combating piracy, and also offer some practical suggestions to this end.
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"The key to economic competitiveness and future growth for ASEAN is in economic integration"
With fresh ideas and country groupings always being mooted and being developed, ASEAN must strive to avoid being marginalised, said IPS Director Ambassador Ong Keng Yong. He also spoke on the challenges facing ASEAN nations in this economic crisis, as well as the measures that are being undertaken to counter the crisis. Ambassador Ong also spoke on how the regional grouping is also cooperating in the thorny area of human rights at the ASEAN Mid-Year Fulbright Enrichment Conference in March 2009.
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Hopes for US-ASEAN relations under the Obama administration
Former US President George W Bush got his Asia policy right, said Professor Tommy Koh, who also outlined recent developments in the US-ASEAN working relationship and expressed hopes that the Obama administration will continue the US commitment to free trade and continue to stay with ASEAN at the launch of the Asia Foundation’s third report in the America’s Role in Asia series on 17 February 2009.
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Why Singapore is a natural base for International Non-Profit Organisations
An English-speaking and IT-savvy workforce, a strategic geographic location and the presence of a considerable and accessible knowledge base in Singapore were some of the reasons Ambassador Ong cited in a speech given at the opening of the Singapore office of the Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC). According to Ambassador Ong, the FDC may also benefit from the "ASEAN work-in-progress" in the course of delivering technical support and assistance to the poor in developing countries.
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"How ASEAN can narrow the development gap"
The admission of Cambodia to ASEAN in 1999 was a watershed moment with the regional grouping finally encompassing the whole of Southeast Asia. Ambassador Ong Keng Yong spoke on the role of trade tariff elimination and the ASEAN Charter play in eliminating the development gap between the six more-developed nations and the CMLV (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) countries.
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"Time to consider ASEAN common currency"
This year marks the 42nd anniversary of ASEAN, and the regional grouping is facing unprecedented challenges with the global economic crisis and the rise of Asia behemoths China and India. In a column for The Straits Times, IPS Research Fellow Lee Yoong Yoong asks if the ten nations that make up the Association of Southeast Asian nations are ready for a deeper cooperation in the form of a common currency, and suggests that ASEAN may be able to start with a sub-regional interchangeable currency between Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
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IPS in the news
Media coverage of IPS events. |
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IPS runs for charity
Scorching temperatures and work did not stop 13 IPS staff members from doing their bit for the Singapore Action Group for Elders (SAGE) as they donned their running shoes and joined the Greatest Charity Run held at Temasek Polytechnic on 24 April 2009. |
| Read IPS staff member account |
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Sound Bites
IPS staff members and researchers give their insights in the media on topics ranging from online political content to trade relations.
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