Singapore Institute of International Affairs

We were delighted to host Ms. Uni Lubis, Editor-in-Chief, IDN Times, for a closed-door dinner dialogue with our corporate members last evening. 🌏 The conversation centered around various key figures in Prabowo’s cabinet and potential roadmaps of Indonesia’s domestic policies. There were also discussions surrounding Prabowo’s foreign policy outlook and how Indonesia might navigate today’s complex geopolitical landscape. ✨ We thank Ms. Uni Lubis and our corporate members for their time and for contributing to a meaningful dinner dialogue.  

The EU’s Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) could disrupt palm oil trade in Southeast Asia, including Singapore-based traders. With the regulation delayed until the end of 2025, there’s a critical opportunity for businesses to implement stronger sustainability practices across the supply chain. 👉🏻 Read the full commentary — "Sticky Business: Region Frets Over EU Regulation That Affects Palm Oil Trade" — written by our Chairman, Associate Professor Simon Tay, and Senior Assistant Director Mr. Aaron Choo, for The Straits Times here - https://lnkd.in/giksaDtx

🌏 We recently hosted a panel discussion on "Forging Connectivity and Resilience Amidst Uncertainty: Shaping ASEAN’s Future with Asia-Ready Youths", in partnership with the National Youth Council Singapore (NYC). The discussion explored the key challenges and opportunities facing ASEAN, providing invaluable insights for the next generation of youth leaders.    Moderated by our Director of Security and Global Affairs, Mr. Nicholas Fang, the session featured distinguished speakers: ✨ Ms. Alpana Roy, Director (ASEAN) at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore) ✨ Mr. Sebastian Wijaya, Chief Operating Officer at Agridence ✨ Ms. Erica Tay, Director of Macro Research at Maybank Investment Banking Group This event was part of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) 2024, an exclusive leadership programme jointly organised by NYC and Singapore International Foundation (SIF). Running from 3-10 November, this year’s fellowship brings together emerging leaders from ASEAN — and for the first time, Timor-Leste — for an impactful week of dialogues, institutional visits, and learning journeys in Singapore and Laos. More information on the AYF: https://lnkd.in/gtjfs3kt

We had an enriching meeting with our corporate member, Huawei 😊 Special thanks to Mr. Tonny Bao, President of Global Government Affairs; Mr. Frank GUO, Managing Director; and Ms. Genevieve Lee, PR Manager, for an insightful discussion on the opportunities and challenges shaping the digital and green economies in Singapore and across ASEAN 💡🌱 We look forward to exploring new opportunities together!

✨ Join us for our upcoming talk on “2024 US Elections Unpacked: Insights and Implications for ASEAN”. As the world watches the upcoming US elections, discover how the outcomes could reshape geopolitics, trade, and the global economy in our region.   Guest Speakers:   🎤 Ms. Angela Mancini, Partner, Head of Geopolitical Risk Analysis – APAC, Control Risks  🎤 Mr. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Former Singapore Ambassador to the United States; Head, International Policy & Governance, Temasek 🗓️ Date: Tuesday, 3 December 2024 🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM 📍 Venue: SIIA   🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/ggbU5YKJ   If you would like to attend more events like this, reach out to membership@siiaonline.org.

As the US presidential elections heat up, many are speculating about the potential outcomes and implications for Asia. Our chairman, Associate Professor Simon Tay, recently shared his insights with the Business Times on two key points: ✨ Harris may take a different approach than Biden, making continuity less certain. ✨ It may be better for ASEAN to stay off US' radar, as it could help the region maintain balanced relations and avoid getting caught in the US-China rivalry. 👉🏻 Read the full article in The Business Times - What the US presidential election means for China and the rest of Asia - https://lnkd.in/grUDnzre

This week, we had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Zhang Lijun, Counsellor; Mr. Huang Jian, Attaché; and Ms. Cui Xiang, First Secretary from the Chinese Embassy in Singapore. We engaged in insightful discussions about the recent developments in the ASEAN region, and explored potential collaborations in celebration of the 35th anniversary of China-Singapore diplomatic relations next year. We thank Mr. Zhang and his team for an engaging lunch meeting and we look forward to forging impactful partnerships.

For the ASEAN grid to gear up and go green, there needs to be win-win for all countries in the region. Otherwise, hopes for a regional energy grid will remain a vision, and not a realisable investment. 👉🏻 Read the full commentary - "Growing Green Energy Across ASEAN" - by our chairman, Associate Professor Simon Tay, as part of the SIIA's column on "The Politics that Matter to Business" for The Business Times here: https://lnkd.in/git9nmGG

We're #hiring a new Assistant Director, Policy Programmes in Singapore. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We concluded our inaugural Singapore Green Dialogue themed “Growing the Net-Zero Economy in Asia-Pacific” last Tuesday, drawing more than 100 attendees from diverse backgrounds to discuss sustainable growth in the Asia Pacific. In a panel entitled “Business Perspectives on Innovation in Asia-Pacific’s Green Transformation”, we explored the crucial roles of innovation, infrastructure, and investment driving sustainable change. Mr. Niro Somasekeran, Head of Resources, Energy and Infrastructure International & Corporate Finance South & South East Asia, ANZ Institutional, highlighted how innovative financial solutions are bridging funding gaps for the capital-intensive energy transition. Ms. Yee May Leong, Managing Director, South Asia, Equinix Singapore, shared Equinix’s commitment to enhancing energy efficiency and green operations within the digital infrastructure sector. Ms. Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited (CDL) echoed the need for Singapore to prioritise energy efficiency given our limited renewable energy options. The discussion was facilitated by our Council Member, Ms. Cheryl Chen, President, S&P GLOBAL FOUNDATION & Senior Director, Social Sustainability, S&P Global. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our distinguished panellists for their insightful sharing. To find out more about what went on, read our press release here: bit.ly/4hdcpMT