Singapore International Foundation Shares Singapore Insights and Forges International Friendships for a Better World

Singapore, 24 February 2011 —The Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF) new Singapore Insights programme, a series of thematic study visits and dialogues with experts and practitioners, brings participants to the heart of Singapore strategies, innovations and way of life.

Aimed at international post-graduate students and gap year visitors to Singapore, the programme also provides a platform for developing professional and personal networks, and opportunities to participate in SIF’s international volunteerism projects.

In November last year, the SIF organised the first instalment of the series featuring the theme of water. It saw the participation of 23 Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students from INSEAD, hailing from 14 different countries, learning about Singapore’s water policies as well as water systems in Singapore.

The programme featured a dialogue with policy experts of the Public Utilities Board and visits to memsys clearwater distribution’s solar desalination plant at Marina Barrage and the Bedok NEWater plant.

Following INSEAD students’ participation in Singapore Insights: Water, they formed a group of 14 who will spend 28 February to 1 March helping to bring clean water to Cambodian villagers by assembling and installing bio-sand water filters in rural households in Siem Reap, under the SIF’s Water for Life project.

Thirty-one year-old INSEAD student Victor Ferre Pellicer who has seven years of working experience as a business development and sales professional in the water industry in Europe and Latin America, says, “I have always been fascinated by Singapore’s constant innovation in overcoming its unique water challenges, and believe that the city is a water hub spearheading many of the industry’s developments in the region. For instance, unlike many places around the world where water is usually used and discharged, Singapore has found ways to recycle its water, which is an efficient use of resources and a means by which to achieve self-sufficiency.”

“SIF’s Singapore Insights has most certainly helped me to gain a first-hand understanding of the Singapore’s developments and aspirations in the water industry. I greatly look forward to continue my learning journey through the upcoming volunteering trip to Siem Reap, as it will provide not just an exposure to the different set of water issues faced by another country but more importantly, our INSEAD team of volunteers will have an invaluable chance to make a positive impact in the region.”

Mr Matthew Lee, SIF’s Director for International Networking, adds, “Singapore Insights promotes the exchange of perspectives and nurtures international networks, thereby enabling partnerships for good. We are very heartened by programme participants subsequently volunteering in SIF’s water project in Cambodia. This embodies our vision of making friends for a better world.”

Last week, the SIF organised the second edition of Singapore Insights on the theme of info-communication technology (ICT), where some 30 post-graduate students from INSEAD, SMU and NUS learnt about the developments in One-North for infocomm and media industries at a dialogue with JTC Corporation officials. They also discussed with DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore about “The Game Industry and its developments” and were hosted to a company visit at Magma Studios by its Managing Director.

Moving forward, the SIF plans to include the themes of arts, social innovation and urban planning in the Singapore Insights series. Tertiary institutions who wish to partner the SIF can email [email protected]