Foreseeable: A Podcast Series by Global-is-Asian

What's more controversial than coal, harder to build than a dam, and suddenly, back on Southeast Asia's policy agenda? Nuclear.

For years, it was too politically sensitive. Too scary and too expensive. But now, demand from industry, data centres and urbanisation is making it necessary for governments to look again. Renewables can definitely help, but they have limits. So nuclear, especially Small Modular Reactors, is being reconsidered. 

In Singapore, the issue is also moving from hypothetical debate to formal assessment. From 2027, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will assess Singapore's nuclear infrastructure readiness. Though the government has emphasised that this is not a decision to adopt nuclear, but part of a rigorous three-phase assessment. So nuclear isn't just an engineering question. It's about trust, safety, public fear, and what happens when risk crosses borders.

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For decades, ASEAN has largely taken a neoliberal approach to regional economic security, grounded in the belief that economic cooperation and integration among its member states would help ensure peace and stability, while also promoting prosperity for its people.

More recently, it has been strained by the longer-term economic repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East. Against this backdrop, a key question emerges. Does ASEAN's longstanding economic security paradigm remain fit for purpose?

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, join expert panel, Dr. Denis Hew, Senior Research Fellows at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Dr. Su-Hyun Lee, Senior Associate Fellow at the Centre for Multilateralism Studies and Deputy Head of Graduate Studies at RSIS-NTU, Professor Mely Caballero-Anthony, Associate Dean (International Engagement) and Head of the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, also at RSIS-NTU, and Dr Barbora Valockova, Research Fellow at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation (CAG) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, as they explore how shifting geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics are reshaping the economic landscape of the ASEAN region.

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Resilience has become a familiar term in recent years, especially after COVID-19, supply chain disruptions, rising geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change. But today, resilience is no longer just about recovery. It is about how countries and regions adapt and rethink how they operate in a more uncertain and fragmented world. For ASEAN, this challenge is particularly complex. Resilience looks different across emerging technologies, global value chains and health and other non-traditional security issues. And policy choices in one area can create vulnerabilities in another.

In this episode's of Policy Unpacked, join our expert panel, LKYSPP's Dr. Denis Hew and Dr Miguel Gomez, Senior Research Fellows at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, SMU's Associate Professor Chang Pao Li and RSIS' Professor Mely Anthony, as they explore what resilience really means for ASEAN and what it will take for the region to remain competitive, resilient and secure.

Register for their Ideas Festival here: https://lkyspp.sg/reimagining-regional-resilience

Or find out more here: https://lkyspp.sg/ideasfestival2026

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Southeast Asia is navigating a far more contested and uncertain strategic environment. Military tensions, major power rivalry and territorial disputes are growing, while transboundary challenges from economic shocks to cyber risks, are testing the region's resilience.

For ASEAN, this raises a critical question: How can the region remain stable, resilient and relevant as global power structures shift?

Tune in to this episode of Policy Unpacked with LKYSPP's Prof Selina Ho, Prof Khong Yuen Foong as well as, NUS' Law School's Prof Tan Hsien-Li, as they examine how changing global dynamics are reshaping the Asian regional order and what this means for ASEAN's role going forward. Excited to hear more about this?

Register for their Ideas Festival here: https://lkyspp.sg/reimagining-regional-resilience

Or find out more here: https://lkyspp.sg/ideasfestival2026

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Southeast Asia now finds itself at the heart of a growing storm. As the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, ASEAN nations are navigating a delicate balance between two competing powers.

Today, we speak with LKYSPP Professor Khong Yuen Fong, Li Ka Shing Professor in Political Science and Co-Director of Centre on Asia and Globalisation, about his work, examining how ASEAN is managing this rivalry and what the shifting global order means for the region's future.

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Is your job safe from AI? Or is the real question, is your country ready? As artificial intelligence reshapes, Singapore faces a critical challenge. How do we equip citizens to thrive? And how must public policy evolve to redefine the social contract between government, businesses and workers?

We're joined by Dr. Reuben Ng, assistant professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His work focuses on trust, social resilience, and the narratives shaping technology. This podcast will unpack the future of work in the age of AI and what Singapore must do to stay ahead.

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In the first episode of our newly launched podcast series, “Policy Unpacked”, we explore Singapore’s “small nation, big journey,” featuring Terence Ho, Adjunct Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and author of “How Singapore Beat the Odds.” The conversation explores why Singapore’s survival was uncertain at independence - small population, high unemployment, reliance on British bases - and how it built success through ideas and institutions rather than luck. Ho highlights the pivotal role of first-generation leaders like Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee, long-term planning, strong inter-agency coordination, and empowering capable people - principals, commanders, and civil servants - through mechanisms like block budgeting.

A core theme is Singapore’s pragmatic synthesis: drawing from both left and right (compassion and self-reliance), combining market forces with judicious state intervention, and adapting global best practices to local context. Policy evolution, such as shifting from streaming to subject-based banding, illustrates continuous recalibration to reduce stigma while keeping standards. The civil service complements political leadership as “intellectual equals,” increasingly communicating policies publicly, while tripartism builds trust and buy-in, countering the misconception of a purely top-down technocracy.

Associate Prof Ho outlines enduring tensions Singapore must balance: growth and equity, global openness and local identity, development and heritage. Looking ahead, he sees new “odds” in a fractured global trading system and disruptive AI, arguing for an updated success formula that layers resilience (domestic capabilities, local core) atop openness and investment in human capital. He is cautiously optimistic, citing strong institutions, societal trust, adaptability shown in COVID-19, and purposeful youth. His overarching takeaway: values - service, integrity, and evolving meritocracy - anchor Singapore’s policy playbook and continue to guide its inclusive, pragmatic path.

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Today we put the spotlight on the United Nations as it turns 80 years old in 2025. Current global crises, such as geopolitical conflicts, climate change, and humanitarian disasters are profoundly testing the UN's existing mechanisms and its capacity to respond effectively. We sit down with Professor Francesco Mancini to discuss the UN's ability to adapt, reform and successfully address these crises, which will ultimately define its relevance and determine its path forward in global governance.

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In this episode of the Foreseeable podcast series, Associate Professor Leong Ching unpacks a behavioural experiment that explores how opt-in monitoring affects honesty across nine countries. With insights drawn from behavioural economics and public policy, she discusses how low-cost, non-intrusive interventions can promote pro-social behaviour and strengthen public trust.

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In this episode of the Foreseeable podcast series, Assistant Professor Yongwook Ryu offers an in-depth analysis of South Korea's political upheaval marked by the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Explore the causes and effects of this dramatic political saga and understand its domestic politics and its impact on South Korea's foreign policy, particularly in relation to the US-China trade tensions, as the nation is poised for significant change amid a leadership vacuum that is expected to end after the presidential election on 3rd June.

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