Singapore must re-think priorities: Eng Hen

Move crucial given global calls for a new world order following crisis
Lee U-Wen, Business Times 12 Mar 09;

THE global financial crisis has sparked calls for a new world order from countries such as France, Italy, the United Kingdom and China. And Singapore too must re-evaluate its priorities - and re-order them if need be - to respond to the crisis, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

While major economies such as the US, China and India will continue to wield substantial power, other nations on Singapore's radar must include resource-rich states such as those in the Middle East and Russia, Dr Ng said.

'Resource-rich states will gain prominence in the new world order,' he said at a ministerial forum hosted by Singapore Management University (SMU). 'Natural resources such as oil, gas, minerals and commodities will continue to be in great demand as the world population becomes more urbanised.'

Noting how oil prices have plunged from US$145 a barrel in July last year to just US$47 today, he said that while some oil-rich states may face a deficit in their external accounts, demand for limited energy and resources will rise in the medium term.

Singapore has to 'exploit these new realities' to put itself in a position of strength, Dr Ng, who is also Second Defence Minister, told an audience of 200 people. 'We must leverage on our reliability, trustworthiness and stability as brands.'

The role of Singapore post-crisis can take different, overlapping forms, he said, painting images of four kinds of city that Singapore can aspire to as a 'growth city' for the future.

As an 'intellectual and information' city, Singapore can be a hub for those who want to exploit new technologies, solutions and services, protect intellectual property or store valuable information. This would ensure Singapore is attractive to foreign investors, Dr Ng said.

As a 'talent city', Singapore can be a place where locals develop their potential alongside foreigners who can help produce a creative and innovative work force, he said. 'Our people need to have deep knowledge, and yet be flexible, to navigate across disciplines and fields, finding new ways of doing things.'

Singapore can also be a 'future model city' where people want to live because they seek a better and more sustainable future. And finally, it can a 'connectivity city' from which Singaporeans can easily venture overseas to expand their knowledge. 'We should also expand opportunities for groups of Singaporeans to learn different languages. This will help us service the world,' Dr Ng said.

One student observed during an hour-long dialogue that followed Dr Ng's speech that Singapore still seems to be experiencing a 'brain drain', even though it is supposed to be a magnet for talented people.

Dr Ng replied: 'It's brain circulation. We lose some but we get others coming in. On a net basis, we're a plus. But we are greedy, we want our unfair share. We try to hold on to all Singaporeans.'

He said that bright Singaporeans who the state has invested in continue to go abroad after completing their education, partly because the government has gone to great lengths to globalise them to be able to seize such opportunities.

'But we don't mind, and hope they will come back home eventually. This is all part of the system to encourage people to gain more exposure.'

Singapore must be ready for post-crisis order
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia 11 Mar 09;

SINGAPORE: Singapore must be ready when the economic slump ends and when the post-crisis order takes over.

And to remain competitive, Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said, the country must be known as an Intellectual and Information City, a Talent City and Global Node, a Future Model City and a Connectivity City.

Dr Ng was speaking at the second ministerial forum at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

Due to the financial crisis, Dr Ng said Singapore must re-evaluate its strategic priorities and if need be, re-order them to maintain its strength.

The minister added that the basic fundamentals that give Singapore the edge must be focused on as well. He said Singapore must be known as a place for new discoveries and an environment that is suitable for talent.

But Dr Ng warned that if the recession is prolonged, it will be a litmus test for the current generation.

He also addressed concerns about job prospects, especially for undergraduates studying financial-related courses.

He said: "What I've tried to do is to share with you where the growth areas are, where our economic strategies must be placed and you make your calculations and decide. I think you've been taught well. SMU has trained you well. You ought to be able to make the best of your opportunities."

Asked about the brain drain problem, the minister said Singapore must constantly develop opportunities to retain talent.

Dr Ng said: "For a long while, traditionally, we're just looking at maths and science and we still want to be strong in that. But we also want to layer it with different capabilities.

"I think in five to ten years, when the IRs (integrated resorts) are up and when Marina City is built, it will be a very interesting Singapore where there are more opportunities for diverse types of talents."

The minister added that over the next decade, Singapore's education system will have to evolve, as students become more articulate and become part of a generation that is more questioning.- CNA/ir

SMU MINISTERIAL FORUM
Some must-haves for Singapore to woo and retain talent
Crucial to develop new technologies, intellectual property: Ng Eng Hen
Yen Feng, Straits Times 12 Mar 09;

THE global financial crisis is a world-changing event, and Singapore has to adopt several strategies to emerge at the head of the pack when the dust clears, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

He told an audience of 150 students of the Singapore Management University (SMU): 'We should be forewarned, alert and prepared. The effect on individual countries, including that on Singapore and Singaporeans, may not always be immediately apparent or easily projected.'

Dr Ng, who is also the Second Defence Minister, was speaking on what needed to be done to tackle the current crisis at the university's Ministerial Forum last evening. This was the second time the event has been held. The first, with Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, was in 2006.

Top on the to-do list is to develop new technologies and intellectual property, which will make the Republic a draw for the best scientists and for talent from multinational companies.

Dr Ng said: 'We can strive to be a centre where information dissemination is valued, because information from Singapore can be trusted and understood as it is packaged and presented well.'

Keeping talent here is also important.

The key to doing so, he said, is to build for the nation's residents a safe, clean and comfortable environment.

High net-worth individuals are relocating out of Hong Kong because they do not like the air quality there, he noted.

'For Singapore, clean air, pure water, safe streets are must-haves.'

Two other tacks are to develop Singapore's sustainable resources - such as energy and water - and to expose its citizens to the world.

It is important to remain competitive in these areas as countries become more dependent on renewable energy, and as the world becomes increasingly connected.

The minister added that these challenges would be well-met by students of SMU, who have 'skills of adaptability and the attitude of resilience'.

His speech, 'Singapore and SMU in the New World Order', set the tone for the evening's forum, as students of the downtown university peppered him with questions ranging from the lack of campus space to how schools will meet new challenges in a flailing economy.

Miss Eng Pingni, 19, a first-year business student, wanted to know more about the Government's plan to stop the 'brain drain'. How will Singapore attract foreign talent even as it is losing local talent to countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, she asked.

Dr Ng replied: 'I think it's more of a 'brain circulation',' and added that the net result was still a plus for Singapore.

Final-year information systems student Okkar Kyaw, 23, wanted to know whether the minister would build more hostels in SMU's campus.

The minister's reply, which drew a few chuckles from the audience: 'You know, because this is a prime area, any condo built next to your school will cost a lot.

'But I take your point. Where we can find the opportunity, we shall.'

Becoming a city of four faces
Dr Ng on how Singapore can thrive in a new world order
Loh Chee Kong, Today Online 12 Mar 09;

WHILE no one knows for sure how long the recession will last, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen agrees on this: As several global figures have proclaimed in recent weeks, a New World Order is in the making.

But with history teaching the harsh lesson that small city-states often fade, when they fail to rise to the challenge of such upheavals, what must Singapore do?

One major change, for instance, is how the era of “high-spending” countries like the United States providing demand for “high-savings” countries like China is past — at least for the next decade or so, in Dr Ng’s view. The three-way dominance of the US, European Union and Japan, which has fuelled growth in Singapore and the region, is expected to shrink.

And don’t expect China to pick up the slack in demand — it could take “some 30 to 40 years” to match America’s level of consumption today.

In this new operating environment, Dr Ng said, Singapore can still prosper if it exploits the new possibilities, and strives to emerge from the crisis as a city of four faces.

Intellectual and information Mecca

Speaking at the Singapore Management University ministerial forum yesterday, he said that first, to thrive, Singapore “must be known as a place for new discoveries and innovative value-add outputs”.

Already, it is making strides in this direction: An Earth observatory has been set up at the Nanyang Technological University to study environmental threats and natural disasters, while the Republic has also become a “broadcast hub” with top names such as CNBC Asia, Discovery Channel and Disney headquartered here.

“We can build on our initial successes to become an intellectual and information Mecca,” Dr Ng said.

Some SMU students, however, were not convinced Singapore could be a hotbed of innovative ideas. During the question-and-answer session, one law undergraduate cited the People’s Action Party’s “monopoly on power” and the dominance of Government-linkedcompanies in the private sector. This impedes innovation because, the student said, “once you don’t fit into the system, you migrate”.

Dr Ng said there was “no denying” the party’s dominance, but “whether that has increased the migration figures, that’s not borne out”. The pertinent question to ask, is whether education standards have risen — and the facts are, not only are Singaporean students held in high regard by foreign universities, bright foreigners also desire to study here.

This, Dr Ng said, shows a “disjunct” in the theory that “good government stifles”.

He accepted, however, that the Government will “increasingly have to give space to citizens”, and it is in the hands of younger Singaporeans to “decide the terms of engagement”.

Talent and connectivity city

Singapore will also have to stay ahead in its bid to retain and attract talent. Here, Dr Ng gave updates on how the higher education and research scene is expanding, and how the lifestyle and environment remains attractive to foreigners.

The Republic can also remain relevant as a “future model city” to others — such as how it has set the pace with Newater, eGovernment and renewable energy.

And finally, as “connectivity city”, it can link people, regions, systems and ideas. But even as Dr Ng reiterated the Republic’s role as a bridge between East and West, another SMU student argued that Singaporeans’ competitive advantage of bilingualism is in danger of being usurped by citizens in China and Vietnam, which are fast developing a populace fluent in English.

For now, responded Dr Ng, Singapore retains the edge and must push on quicker, “be smart about what we can offer”.

He concluded: “No one can reliably predict how long this recession will last or the ramifications after the crisis. But if this recession is prolonged, it will represent the litmus test for this generation ... I am optimistic that Singaporeans as one people have the wherewithal to fight the odds.”