A report from the McKinsey Global Institute placed Singapore as the most globally connected country in the world, ahead of Netherlands and the US which came in second and third respectively. With huge dependency on external relationships with the rest of the world, diplomatic ties are increasingly important in our ever-connected world.

Developing a Future Ready Workforce @ Swiss-Singapore Business Forum
The Switzerland-Singapore Business Forum was held on 12th of July at Shangri-La Hotel, graced by the presence of His Excellency, Mr Johann Schneider-Ammann, President of the Swiss Confederation and Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam. This Forum underscored the national efforts by both Governments on skills development and brings together stakeholders and experts from both countries to discuss the importance of learning at every stage of an individual’s career, as well as share best practices on equipping the workforce with the skills required to stay relevant.

Dr Robert Yap was a panellist, along with ABB Chairman Peter Vose, for a session moderated by Ms Jeanne Liew, Principal & CEO, Nanyang Polytechnic. He shared that companies must be equipped to impart the necessary skills, where the government and trade associations can help companies develop their curriculum and prepare them to provide training for their employees.

Sustainable Growth in Asia @ Singapore-Japan Business Forum
Themed “Partnership for Sustainable Growth in Asia and Beyond”, the Singapore-Japan Business Forum was held on 15th of July at the Grand Hyatt, and hosted by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade), and Mr Tsuyoshi Hoshino, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Dr Robert Yap was part of a panel discussion with Lee Ark Boon, CEO of IE Singapore, Takuya Okada, Chairman of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and COO of Sumitomo Corporation, and Deborah Elms, Executive Director of Asian Trade Centre in Singapore, as they exchanged thoughts on unexplored opportunities for cooperation between companies in the region.

Strengthening Economical Ties @ Ninth India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue
The Ninth India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue (ISSD) was held on 29th of August at Shangri-La Hotel. The event was attended by Ong Ye Kung, acting Minister for Education (Higher Education & Skills) and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Republic of Singapore, and Ambassador Tommy Koh, Chairman, India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, and Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore.

James Ong presented on how Singapore and India can strengthen the Economic Pillar, sharing benefits of close integration in areas such as urban planning, technological innovation and talent supply.