Speaker: Mrs. Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government

Time: 3.30 pm - 5.00 pm

Venue: URA Function Hall, Level 5, The URA Centre (Podium Block), 45 Maxwell Road, The URA Centre, Singapore 069118

Synopsis: With a total area of about 1,104 square kilometres and a population of 7.1 million, Hong Kong is a highly urbanised city. The pace of urbanisation was rapid in the past 60 years, with the addition of almost one million people every decade until the most recent one. The City has managed this growth via efficient land use, meticulous spatial planning and investment in public infrastructure, capitalising on her strategic position as a trade, business and transport hub. In recent years, in line with the Government’s vision to continue developing Hong Kong to retain her global competitiveness, much more emphasis is placed on nature and heritage conservation, preservation of local culture and social networks, liveability, creativity, sustainability and community aspirations. In this talk, Mrs. Lam will discuss a paradigm shift in Hong Kong’s heritage conservation and the success factors in embracing heritage whilst taking forward in a progressive and sustainable manner the City’s continued economic development.

Speaker: Dr. Tim Huxley, Executive Director, The International Institute for Strategic Studies - Asia, Singapore

Time: 5:15pm - 6:30pm

Venue: Seminar Room 3-1, Level 3, Manasseh Meyer, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772

Synopsis: Singapore has been acutely aware of its vulnerability since separation from Malaysia in 1965. Its government has met its defence needs with characteristic determination, building powerful, well-equipped and highly-trained armed forces based on a relatively small professional core and much larger numbers of conscript and reservist citizen-soldiers. However, Singapore, its region and the world have evolved significantly since the newly-sovereign city-state first established the Singapore Armed Forces. A decade after the publication of Defending the Lion City: The Armed Forces of Singapore, it seems appropriate to look at the changing nature of the security challenges facing Singapore, economic and social developments in Singapore itself that are relevant to defence and the armed forces, and how Singapore’s defence policy has adapted in response.

Speaker: Mr. Sajjad Ashraf, Adjunct Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)

Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Venue: Seminar Room 3-5, Level 3, Manasseh Meyer, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772

Synopsis: Born out of a traumatic partition, Pakistan lives in a state of constant paranoia and denial of a several kinds. The two support each other.

This state of minds fuels various dilemmas and imbalances within the state structure. Pakistan has yet to resolve its inter-provincial power equation, which rooted in history in fact led to the dismemberment of the country. This state of mind based on some credible perceptions, especially in the early years, impacts upon the civil – military relations in Pakistan creating perpetual governance issues. These lead back to reinforcing inter-provincial imbalances, supports economic disparities and thus keeps Pakistan struggling with its own identity.

The internal dilemmas effect Pakistan‘s external choices, which are unrealistic and lead back to support and encourage governance imbalances.

Pakistan’s fears and psyche have led to skewed foreign policy choices, promoted wrong public policy choices, mis-governance and corruption.

A correction on one aspect - internal or external will help the other, in which India being the bigger and more endowed state has a critical role to play. Peace in the region lies in developing India-Pakistan constructive engagement.

Speaker: Mr. Peter Ong, Head of Singapore’s Civil Service; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance; Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), Prime Minister’s Office; and H.E. Mr. Antonio Villegas, Ambassador, Embassy of Mexico

Time: 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Level 3, Auditorium, Block B, Faculty of Law, NUS Bukit Timah Campus, 469G Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259776

Synopsis: The Group of 20 (G20), an informal grouping of countries representing more than 80 percent of the world's economic output, will be holding its annual Leader's Summit under the Chairmanship of Mexico this June under economic conditions where numerous uncertainties evoke a sense of impending crisis.

The Los Cabos Summit takes place with Mexico assuming the G20 Presidency at an important juncture amid this complex global economic situation. The speed and quality of the global recovery will depend on the ability of the international community to go beyond unilateral actions and demonstrate a will to coordinate policies. This demands leadership, and provides a chance for the G20 to play an important role at this point in history.

Since its founding in 2003, the G20 has aspired to be a forum to coordinate economic policies, promote improvements to the international financial architecture, and contribute to a stable environment that is conducive to growth and development in all countries. It aims to contribute an important and coherent voice in the debate to resolve the global economic challenges currently at play, given the profile of the developing countries in its stable.