Announcement of “Reinventing Destiny” – A Conference on the Occasion of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th Birth Anniversary

11 Jul 2023

The Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, are jointly organising the Reinventing Destiny conference on Monday, 14 August 2023, to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Guided by the late Mr Lee’s vision, Singapore has beaten the odds as a small nation-state and successfully shaped itself as a competitive player on the global stage. However, modern Singapore now faces new challenges, with increasing global geo-political tensions and economic fragmentation. Once again, questions have been raised about the vulnerability and survivability of small states like Singapore.

Held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, the conference will feature forward-looking discussions on politics, governance and economics that can help Singapore and other small states retain relevancy and steadily navigate an ever-changing global climate. It will feature three panels and close with a dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, moderated by CNN host and columnist for The Washington Post, Dr Fareed Zakaria.

Other prominent Singaporean and international speakers at the conference will include Professor Ian Goldin (Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford); Professor Lawrence Summers (President Emeritus and Charles W. Eliot University Professor, Harvard University - participating virtually); Ms Jessica Tan (Executive Director & Co-Chief Executive Officer, Ping An Group); Mr Piyush Gupta (Group Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank Ltd); Dr Kevin Rudd (former Prime Minister of Australia); Mr Bilahari Kausikan (Chairman of the Middle East Institute); Professor Wu Weiping (Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University); Professor Cheong Koon Hean (Chair of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities); and Mr Peter Ho (Chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority). Participation of the conference is by invitation and prior registration only.

Professor Chan Heng Chee, who is representing LKYCIC on the conference organising team, said: "We have gathered distinguished speakers from Singapore and overseas to discuss how global and domestic issues will shape and influence Singapore’s future. We look forward to their diverse perspectives, depth of knowledge and experience as we engage them in robust debates on these important matters."

Further updates can be found on the event page here.

About the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC)

LKYCIC was established in September 2012 as one of the research centres of excellence in the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). LKYCIC’s mission is to stimulate thinking and research on the critical issues of cities and urbanisation, and to provide breakthrough urban solutions using technology, urban science, policy and design. It takes an inter-disciplinary and human-centric approach in its research and works collaboratively across many local and international partners. Its research addresses a broad spectrum of issues that include urban futures, city innovations, ageing urbanism and health; mobility and sustainable and resilient cities.

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP)

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is an autonomous, professional graduate school of the National University of Singapore. Its mission is to educate and train policy-makers and leaders, with the objective of raising the standards of governance throughout the region, improving the lives of its people, and, in so doing, contributing to the transformation of Asia and beyond. In addition to Masters and PhD programs, the LKYSPP offers high quality customized Executive Programs that cater to the needs of time-constrained senior managers and professionals, with the aim of delivering creative solutions to real management and leadership challenges.

About the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)

IPS was established in 1988 as an independent think tank to study and generate public policy ideas in Singapore. IPS became an autonomous research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore in 2008. Today, IPS continues to analyse public policy, build bridges between thought leaders, and communicate its findings to a wide audience. The Institute examines issues of critical national interest across a variety of fields, and studies the attitudes and aspirations of Singaporeans through surveys of public perception. It adopts a multi-disciplinary approach in its analyses and takes the long-term view in its strategic deliberation and research.