Foreseeable: A Podcast Series by Global-is-Asian

Terence Ho, Adjunct Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, is a former policymaker and now academic. Terence's latest book, ‘Future-Ready Governance: Perspectives on Singapore and the World’, is a collection of essays exploring how Singapore is addressing critical issues like tech disruptions, climate change, social stresses, leadership transitions, and fiscal sustainability. Drawing on Singapore's experience, the book illuminates broader governance and leadership principles and aims to provide insights for those interested in Singapore's approach to navigating a complex future.

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Singapore Budget 2025 is a landmark one, coinciding with the year Singapore turns 60, and arriving ahead of the General Elections. This is also the first Budget under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. But beyond the headline-grabbing incentives, does Budget 2025 truly create opportunities for all?

The team at the Social Inclusion Project (SIP) host this podcast special. Moderated by SIP’s Nessa Swinn Yap, and led by SIP’s lead, Dr Ng Kok Hoe (Senior Research Fellow, NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy), they speak to guests Dr Stephanie Chok (Executive Director, Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME)), and Lim Jingzhou (Community Worker, Cassia Resettlement Team) to explore the Budget’s implications for lower-income groups, migrant workers, and caregivers.

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As lifespans increase, it's projected that 2.1 billion people will be aged 65 and above by 2050. That's one reason why it's so important to address the negativity surrounding ageing, as positive perceptions of ageing can lead to longer and healthier lives. Dr Reuben Ng is an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and a behavioural scientist who also spent 16 years in government consulting and research. He's an expert in ageism, social gerontology, and quantitative social science. It's in that context that we spoke to him about the ongoing longevity revolution and how our AI and agency are helping to reframe ageing in a positive light.  

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Dr Denis Hew is Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Prior to taking up his current appointment, he was director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, PSU, from 2011 to 2022. Dr Hew also spent two years in the Asian Development Bank, ADB in its Southeast Asia department, where he managed technical assistance programmes on regional cooperation and integration. Dr Denis Hew is Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Prior to taking up his current appointment, he was director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, PSU, from 2011 to 2022. Dr Hew also spent two years in the Asian Development Bank, ADB in its Southeast Asia department, where he managed technical assistance programmes on regional cooperation and integration. 

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Professor Eduardo Araral, is a distinguished academic and practitioner with over 30 years of experience in academia and government. His research primarily focuses on institutions for collective action. As a prominent figure in the field, Professor Araral has contributed to significant projects with various governments and international organisations, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. He has engaged in over 250 executive education programmes, sharing his insights with thousands of government officials, business leaders, and NGOs across more than 50 countries.

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Assistant Professor Tan Soo Jie Sheng primarily uses micro econometrics techniques combined with economic modelling to conduct empirical research in the areas of environment, health, and development. Recently, he and his co-authors published an article titled, “Using Cost–Benefit Analyses to Identify Key Opportunities in Demand-Side Mitigation.”

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The world’s largest democracy, India, has recently concluded its six-week long election, counting 640 million votes. India’s incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected but his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost their majority and are now in a coalition with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). What does this mean for India, Asia and the world?

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A new book, Building Urban Resilience: Singapore's Policy Response to Covid-19 is one of the first few books to discuss the Covid-19 crisis as an urban phenomenon. Written by our guests—J.J. Woo who is a Senior Lecturer at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Debbie R. Loo, who is an architect by training with a background in professional practice, urban studies research, and teaching—the book takes a look at how pandemics have shaped urban planning for centuries, and how we can learn from the experience to improve our population centres in many different ways.

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Indonesian voters in Southeast Asia’s largest democracy elected the ticket of former military general Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka in February 2024, but not without controversy. Gibran is the son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who is accused of manipulating the courts to allow Gibran to run despite being below the constitutional minimum age.  

There are even charges of vote rigging that are being handled by Indonesia’s Election Supervisory Agency or Bawaslu and The General Elections Commission known as KPU.  

Associate Professor Suzaina Kadir is Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and an expert on politics in Southeast Asia.  

As an avid Indonesia watcher, we wanted to get her take on what the upcoming administration means for Indonesia domestically, regionally and globally.  

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From booming GDP growth and low interest rates to raging inflation and a shrinking economy, most of us have a sense of how the macroeconomic ups and downs can affect our lives. But have you ever considered what it takes to keep an economy healthy? 

Our guest certainly has. Ramkishen S. Rajan is Yong Pung How Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He has been a Visiting Fellow at various regional research institutes, including the Asia Competitiveness Institute, the Institute of Policy Studies as well as the Asian Development Bank Institute.   

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