A delegation of twenty undergraduate International Policy Associates (IPAs), LISD's pre-professional foreign policy fellows, recently returned from a week in Singapore. They met with government policymakers, social and private sector stakeholders, academics, and the media. LISD Director Prof. Andrew Moravcsik and LISD Executive Director Nadia Crisan co-led the delegation, along with Prof. Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America and former Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). 

“Students enjoyed a unique opportunity to discuss domestic and foreign policy at length with politicians and officials of Singapore—a country justly renowned for the individual quality and shrewd pragmatism of its public servants,” said Moravcsik.

Three highlights were in-depth discussions with the President of Singapore Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam; Minister of Defense Dr. Ng Eng Hen; and former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo. These frank discussions, each lasting hours, touched on Singapore’s strategic security and economic priorities, defense alliances, policy trade-offs, economic priorities, regional concerns, and pragmatic views of the US, China, and other major powers. 

The delegation also met with over a dozen other policy-makers, including Deputy Secretary for Industry & Deputy Secretary for Energy and Carbon, Keith Tan '97; Senior Director (Americas) Timothy Chia at the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Chargé d’Affaires Casey Mace, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Deji Okediji ’02, and other members of the US Embassy team. 

Students discussed economic issues with Dr. Prakash Kannan, Chief Economist and Director at the Global Investment Corporation (GIC); Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri, Head of Policy and Governance at Temasek (Singapore’s state-owned enterprises corporation); representatives from the World Bank in Singapore, including Director Julia Fraser; and leading private sector figures.

Students gained deeper context through academic exchanges with the current Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School, Professor Danny Quah '80; with former Singaporean UN Ambassador and public intellectual, Dr. Kishore Mahbubani; and with Wu Wei Neng, CEO of the Chandler Institute of Governance.

For a window into the journalistic view of both Singapore and China, students attended a lunch with Christian Shepherd (Washington Post), Chun Han Wong (Wall Street Journal), and Sue-Lin Wong (The Economist), as well as a session with Executive Director Veerle Nouwens and other experts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS-Asia).

IPA’s prepared for the trip through reading, presentations, discussions, and lectures on Singapore and its region. Reflecting on the relationship between theory and practice, IPA Ambassador Luke Carrol ‘26 observed: “Singapore was often characterized as a window into China. In our meetings this appeared exactly right: some of the officials with whom we met serve as informal channels between the US and China, and all had a more intimate and nuanced knowledge of Chinese foreign policy ambitions than I’ve ever been exposed to.”

When not engaged in policy discussions, the delegation explored the vibrant city-state. They visited key cultural and historical landmarks, ethnic neighborhoods, galleries, museums, public housing complexes—with a particular focus on Singapore’s unique approach to urban planning and development. They met also with Adele Tan '97, Chief Planner and Deputy CEO of the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

In the course of the trip, students met with over 100 Princeton alumni, including a dinner event generously hosted by Natalie Tarnopolsky’ 95 at her residence. 

IPA Ambassador Katherine Holden ’26 concluded: “Singapore was a thought-provoking and transformative opportunity to engage in depth with both the culture and political landscape.”

With contributions from International Policy Associate Abby Lu ’26.