An autonomous research institute within the @NUSingapore examining issues of critical national interest in Singapore. RTs ≠ endorsement
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IPS becomes a University-level research institute within the @NUSingapore (NUS), effective from 1 April 2026.
IPS will no longer sit within the @lkyspp (LKYSPP), where it has been a research centre since 2008. It will operate as an autonomous research institute within NUS, while maintaining its longstanding mission to analyse public policy, bridge thought leaders, and communicate research to a wide audience. – at Singapore
🔗 The biggest stories in Asia today don't fit neatly into a single beat.
AI, scams, polarisation, gender — these are inter-connected challenges that we face, no matter which country we are from. Over the course of this year’s Asia Journalism Fellowship (AJF), Fellows sat down with people working at the heart of these issues:
🤖AI & Journalism: How AI is reshaping newsroom workflows, audience trust, and the wider media ecosystem — including how practices like vibe coding can be approached responsibly. Fellows heard from Prof Ang Peng Hwa, Emeritus Professor, and Mr Ian Tan, Lecturer, from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.
🚨Anti-Scam: A closed-door deep dive into the rapidly evolving scam situation in Singapore and the region as well as the strategies to prevent, detect, and disrupt the varieties of scams. The session was led by Assistant Commissioner Aileen Yap, Deputy Commander of Operations at Cyber Command, Singapore Police Force.
♀️ Gender Equality: A visit to SG Her Empowerment (SHE) for a conversation on gender equality, media representation, and digital safety — and how journalists can cover gender issues and vulnerable communities with sensitivity and public-interest judgment. Fellows heard from Ms How Kay Lii, CEO at SHE, and Saira Sultanah, Assistant Manager/Counsellor at SHE.
📢Polarisation: Examining the global rise of hate speech and polarisation — what drives it, how laws help or hurt and how journalists can be part of the solution. The session was led by Prof Cherian George of the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University.
The AJF is organised by the Institute of Policy Studies, in partnership with Temasek Foundation.
#ipssg #singapore #journalism #AJF2026
📷Photos taken by Zakaria Zainal
At the IPS Corporate Associates One-table Dinner held last Tuesday, Mr Lim Chow Kiat, Chief Executive Officer of GIC, discussed the founding of GIC as the world's first non-commodity sovereign wealth fund and its mission to preserve and enhance Singapore's reserves over the long term. Mr Lim also shared insights into GIC's evolution and its approach to navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain global environment. – at Singapore
The discussion explored broader, thought-provoking topics such as the transformative impact of AI on businesses, investments and governments, the evolving technological competition between the US and China, and what it means to preserve our humanity in an increasingly AI-driven world. The topic of AI in particular sparked a lively exchange, with participants sharing perspectives and reflections from their respective fields.
To learn more about the IPS Corporate Associates Programme, please visit nus.edu/3PD1ygX – at Singapore
📣 Calling young people aged 18–35 living in Jalan Bukit Merah!
Want to share your views about your community, meet other young people and pick up some new skills along the way? 👀
Join us for the Jalan Bukit Merah Youth Study, a youth-led research project by IPS and SHINE Children & Youth Services. – at Singapore
Through 6 interactive, hands-on sessions, you'll get to:
🗣️ Share your experiences and hear from other young people in JBM
🔎 Learn useful skills to identify community needs and strengths
💡 Explore issues that matter to young people and develop ideas for making things better
📄 Receive a Certificate of Participation from IPS Policy Lab upon completing all six training and workshop sessions – at Singapore
What's included?
💸 $30 for each training/workshop session attended
🥐 Brunch provided
Details:
📍 Social Service Hub @ Tiong Bahru
📅 Saturdays, November 2026 – February 2027
No research experience needed — just bring your experiences, ideas and curiosity!
Interested? Sign up here: tinyurl.com/JBM-Youth-Study – at Singapore
How do you know if your social cohesion programme is effective?
These programmes can be hard to implement and evaluate, especially when they engage with identity, lived experience and sensitive group dynamics. Yet their potential to bring about positive outcomes is immense. – at Singapore
🏫 Interventions in Schools and Youth Programmes: building inclusive mindsets in young people
📱 Digital and Media-Based Interventions: using digital technology to change attitudes and counter hate
💬 The Science and Practice of Reducing Bias: how dialogue can bridge deep-seated social divides – at Singapore
Details:
📅 Friday, 30 October 2026
🕐 9.00am – 4.00pm
💻 Online via Zoom
👉 Learn more and sign up: tinyurl.com/IPSITW
#ipssg #singapore #social #apac – at Singapore
On 13 October, IPS’ Dr Aaron Maniam delivered a keynote speech at JC/MI Learning Day 2026, organised by @MOEsg’s Educational Technology Division (ETD) and hosted by Nanyang Junior College.
Under the theme “AI-Ready Classrooms: Developing Confident Teachers & Capable Students”, Dr Maniam explored the implications of AI and national AI strategies for education policy.
(Photos taken by Chan Jing Mun Japhet, Johan Lim Zhe Quan, Mr Bernard Wong, Nanyang Junior College) – at Singapore
Day 2 of the Young Singaporeans Conference 2026 concluded with remarks by Acting Minister for Manpower and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau. She applauded the effort youth participants put in to develop policy ideas for supporting young Singaporeans in relationship and family building—a deeply personal topic. Acting Minister Lau also shared her own personal experiences with juggling parenting and work, and taking inspiration from her parents’ outlook.
Participants of the Conference presented their policy proposals for five topics: relationships and romance, housing and setting up a home of one’s own, career and personal aspirations, caregiving and other family duties, and positive parenting experiences.
In a dialogue moderated by IPS Senior Research Fellow Dr Gillian Koh, Ms Lau said that the Government is also exploring caregiving leave beyond childcare leave, and flexible load jobs that allow employees to work at different rhythms. Other than the Government’s involvement, multiple voices must be acknowledged and accounted for in policy planning, including young Singaporeans who hesitate to take the next step towards a relationship or a family and businesses balancing between productivity and supporting employees who are caregivers.
#YSC2026FutureMakers
Day 2 of #YSC2026FutureMakers continued with Panel 2, “Solutions from the Ground”, moderated by Mr Wilson Goh, Research Associate at the IPS Policy Lab. The panel explored how communities, employers and families can complement government policies and financial support.
Mdm Muzaiyanah Hamzah, Executive Director of PELITA Centre at Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (@MUISingapore), stressed that community programmes work best when designed around the values, needs and circumstances of the families they serve. Drawing on partnerships between mosques and healthcare providers, she shared how trusted community institutions can guide couples through marriage, pregnancy and parenthood.
Dr Xander Ong, CEO of the Centre for Fathering, spoke about balancing work with being present for his family. Parents, he said, need to manage their own emotions before they can help their children regulate stress. He added that support from the wider community, beyond the immediate family, can ease caregiving pressures and help parents build stronger bonds with their children.
Mr Lee Kang Hui, Head of Group Finance at Providend, discussed the challenges SMEs face in supporting employees’ caregiving needs. He described practices at Providend such as flexible work arrangements and time off for children’s activities, and stressed that trust between employers and employees, a focus on outcomes, and empathy for caregiving needs all matter.
In the Q&A, participants asked about gender expectations, balancing career ambitions with caregiving, and the emotional side of family life. Panellists reflected on definitions of success beyond career and money, the importance of seeking help, including for mental wellness, and the value of safe spaces where parents can support one another.
Day 2 of Young Singaporeans Conference #YSC2026FutureMakers opened with Panel 1, “What’s Happening”, moderated by IPS’ Dr Teo Kay Key. The panel explored young Singaporeans’ aspirations for marriage and parenthood, and the challenges they face.
On the panel were IPS’ Dr Kalpana Vignehsa and Dr Tan Poh Lin; Ms Eileen Chong, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament and President of The Workers’ Party Youth Wing Executive Committee; and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Member of Parliament and Board Member of SG Her Empowerment.
Dr Vignehsa shared that most unmarried youths still hoped to marry, though women were less keen than men, partly because of unequal caregiving loads. She added that BTO timelines also shaped relationship decisions.
Ms Chong said money alone cannot buy back the time parenting demands, and called for more accessible workplace flexibility. She also noted that egg freezing remains costly and women may only be able to afford it at ages when it is less effective, while subsidy levels are lower for binational couples.
Dr Tan presented data showing that Singaporeans spend more time on paid work, and less on unpaid work, than their peers in other developed countries. Time poverty and fatigue, she noted, could affect fertility.
Ms Nadia observed that marriage has become more intentional but also more conditional, with couples delaying milestones and feeling growing pressure to optimise parenthood.
In the Q&A, panellists discussed forming genuine connections in a digital age. Ms Chong called for more third spaces for people to meet, while Ms Nadia said the aim should be to navigate online interactions safely and carry relationships offline.
On building relationship skills, Dr Tan highlighted the role of parental support for dating, and Ms Chong stressed teaching conflict resolution early.
Panellists also shared their personal experiences of family planning and reflected on what it means to live a good life in Singapore.
What happens when residents are handed a real budget and asked to choose?
Spottiswoode Park residents had six feasible proposals worth nearly $550,000, but only $200,000 to spend. They pitched, negotiated and voted, and settled on a reflexology pebble path, stone seats and a redesign of void deck spaces.
In this commentary for @straits_times, IPS’ Dr Justin Lee, Nicholas Thomas, Cecilia Kuek and Liang Kaixin reflect on the participatory budgeting pilot the team ran with Tanjong Pagar Town Council, MP Foo Cexiang and the Spottiswoode Park Residents’ Network.
Participation means more when people must weigh trade-offs under real constraints. The pilot created an occasion for residents to accept living with a fair decision that went against their own, and then continue to show up for it.
Beyond this pilot, Singapore can also learn from similar programmes in Scotland, South Korea and Brazil.
In August, the Ministry of National Development confirmed that town councils can set aside part of Neighbourhood Renewal Programme budgets for residents to decide on. The authors suggest starting there, with residents involved from the outset. They also propose extending the idea to schools and a small national pool for citizen-proposed projects. This would bring Singapore closer to the democracy of deeds that Mr Foo has argued for in Parliament: a society in which citizens work with one another and with the Government to solve shared problems.
What additions to your estate would you and your fellow residents propose?
Read the full commentary here: tinyurl.com/3t6zs37k
