Assoc Prof Toh Mun Heng from the Dept of Strategy and Policy at NUS Business School noted that the wage bill as a proportion of gross domestic product is becoming outdated amid structural changes. He opined that a more nuanced approach is needed as the line between labour and capital blurs.

Prof Zheng Yongnian, Director of the East Asian Institute at NUS spoke about Singapore's founding prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s prescience in seeing China's rise in the world before others noticed.

A programme involving young theatre actors at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital helps prepare students from Duke-NUS Medical School for real-life scenarios with young patients. The students practise speaking with the young actors on difficult topics such as sexual health or puberty, drug and alcohol abuse and underage smoking.

Professor Jochen Wirtz from the Department of Marketing at NUS Business School observed that the impending robotic revolution in the services sector will offer many exciting opportunities. He opined that as we become more and more engaged with robots, issues of privacy, personal liberty and security will need to be addressed.

Dr Lance Gore, Senior Fellow from the East Asian Institute at NUS examined the new foundation needed to support the ties between China and the US, that would be sustainable and mutually beneficial, as well as to manage conflicts effectively and prevent war.

Dr Cecilia Tortajada, Senior Research Fellow from the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Distinguished Visiting Prof Asit K Biswas from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS highlighted that Singapore must continue reviewing and updating its flood mitigation policies. They added that the approaches must also remain flexible, cost-effective, contribute to improvements in social, economic and environmental terms, and engage the public at large.

NUS Business School students, Do Khanh Vy, Lee Xin Yi, Poh Yi Beng Sebastian and Wee Kai Lin wrote about Singapore Medical Specialists Centre’s key to building a successful integrated healthcare centre. This is through investing in advanced medical facilities and equipment with medical professionals who are up to speed on the latest medical developments, coupled with an adaptive management and customer service team.

Prof Zheng Yongnian, Director of the East Asian Institute at NUS, examined the need for Asians to develop their own thinking to avoid being disadvantaged when dealing with the West.

Dr Qi Dongtao, Research Fellow from the East Asian Institute at NUS examined how mainland China should deal with the forces promoting and rejecting reunification in Taiwan, at a time the Democratic Progressive Party is seeking a breakthrough and when the electorate is becoming more independent, critical and pragmatic.

Dr Leong Mun Kew, director of graduate programmes at NUS-ISS, highlighted that the redesigned Master of Technology (MTech) programmes — Enterprise Business Analytics, Intelligent Systems and Software Engineering — provide practice-based, industry-relevant and hands-on curricula and aim to empower students to meet the industry’s demands of skilled professionals.