Latest news with #LeeKuanYewSchoolofPublicPolicy
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scion of hospitality conglomerate Genting Group sees potential in wellness-based co-living spaces
'The Initial Sama,' from Singapore-based design and architecture firm Cover Projects, sits in a leafy part of Singapore, near the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and down the road from the city's botanic gardens. Yet while the almost-70-year-old building sits near a university, the co-living space, which opens in July, isn't targeting students, nor the executives that normally pick up serviced apartments. Instead, Lim Keong Wee, founder of Cover Projects, is focused on a different kind of clientele: medical tourists. 'We first were quite taken by the Evans Road building being a heritage building,' Lim says. 'Then we did our research and thought wellness tourism has the potential to grow even bigger and much faster.' Lim was so confident in his analysis that his company outbid all other competitors for the plot by almost 50%, offering to pay a monthly lease of 265,000 Singapore dollars ($201,000) to the Singapore Land Authority. Lim explains the building's proximity to private hospitals and a large botanic garden gives Cover Projects a strategic advantage when it comes to wellness tourism. 'The opportunity was very rare,' Lim says, 'hence we were quite aggressive with our bid.' In particular, he sees the space as adding capacity to two nearby private hospitals, providing a temporary living space for patients who still need post-op care, who can now live in the co-living space and free up hospital bed space. Lim first got the idea for 'The Initial Sama' when he noticed a rising number of medical tourists at one of his other properties, 'The Initial Residence'. Cover Project's other co-living spaces are targeted at the usual clientele of college students and expats. Yet Lim noticed that 'The Initial Residence,' based in the city's Balestier neighborhood, was reporting a rise in stays from people seeking treatment at a nearby medical hub. Some hospital brands in Southeast Asia have also partnered with hotels and serviced apartment providers to provide space for international patients who need post-op care, and in the city-state, hotels and serviced apartments are also often located closeby to major popular medical facilities. While Singapore is a popular destination for medical tourism in Southeast Asia, the industry has not grown to the same extent as neighbors like Thailand and Malaysia. Medical providers argue the strong Singapore dollar is increasing costs—including for accommodation. Lim positions his developments as part of an approach he calls 'context-driven design,' which leverages heritage buildings in Singapore. Cover Projects' first development was 'Eighteen by Three,' which restored a shophouse in Singapore's Chinatown and turned it into an international student hostel. That was followed by 'The Initial Residence,' a newer building located in one of the older and grittier neighborhoods on the fringes of the city center. 'The Initial Sama' is housed in a building that dates from 1958, five years before Singapore left the British Empire. The building was once a former college under the then-University of Malaya. 'Our general approach to any building from a design standpoint has to be what we call context driven. Understanding a building's history gives us a glimpse of why the building was here,' Lim says. Lim hopes to use design to draw people into spaces, which is perhaps why he's focused on hospitality projects for his redevelopments. 'When we first started with shophouses, we found them to be very rich in culture, and history. We started to look at them from a lens of how design can rejuvenate spaces and ultimately allow people to discover the locale, or if not the building itself,' Lim says. 'We started looking into multi-use spaces that's very driven by experiences.' Lim is part of the founding family behind the Genting Group, No. 54 on the Southeast Asia 500. The company opened its first casino in Malaysia in 1971, and now operates resorts in Las Vegas, New York, and Singapore. His father, Lim Chee Wah, is the youngest son of the founder of the Genting Group and formerly deputy managing director of Genting Berhad. Chee Wah's brother is currently the chairman of Genting Group. Lim explains that he had been exposed to the hospitality business from a young age due to his family ties. He subsequently moved to the U.K. to pursue a degree in architecture. He later co-founded PAC, a design-focused firm, with fellow architect Victoria Loh in 2009. The firm was one of the master planner designers for Genting Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou. That resort was used to house a media centre, athletes, and delegates for the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. The two then founded Cover Projects in 2015 and focused on 'boutique spaces,' as well as consulting for clients. Those connections helped them get started in the wellness co-living space. 'Working with other clients allows us to be nimble and explore other concepts. We've had clients in the wellness space and that gave us insights, which is why we then took the plunge and made a bid for Evans Road,' Lim says. This story was originally featured on
CNA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive Podcast: GE2025 results - A closer look at the strong PAP mandate and the opposition strategy
Voters gave the People's Action Party and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate in GE2025. What accounted for the result and why couldn't the opposition parties make good on gains from the last election? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Otelli Edwards, host: So the common perception is that 30 per cent of people would vote for the opposition no matter who is fielded. Do you think then this election has put that theory to the grave? The smaller parties lost their election deposits ... So should they merge, pack up and call it a day, or try again? Dr Reuben Ng, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy: I think we need to rethink what a protest vote is, because the protest vote used to be a vote for the opposition, but I don't think it is (now). Because if you look at the numbers in 2020 compared to 2025, there was actually a 50 per cent increase in voters who either did not vote or spoiled their vote. So I'm really, really worried about that, because that's very insidious. Is that the new protest vote? And the new protest vote is not voting or spoiling your vote. So that worries me very much. I think it is important for opposition parties maybe to focus on these potentially disillusioned or apathetic voters, because it's probably easier to convert them to support opposition parties than to convert existing PAP supporters. But this is something that we really need to watch, because it chips away at Singapore's political exceptionalism. Associate Professor Eugene Tan, Singapore Management University: You look at the small parties, did they really disrupt things? They became the subject of memes. You know, they provided (comedy). The whole air of the elections would be very different without the smaller parties but it raises questions about whether, in a very crowded and fragmented opposition landscape, whether these smaller parties serve any real purpose. I increasingly find them to be irrelevant. Even if they were not to contest in the next general election, you wouldn't feel the loss.
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CNA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive - GE2025 results: A closer look at the strong PAP mandate and the opposition strategy
Deep Dive Voters gave the People's Action Party and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate in GE2025. What accounted for the result and why couldn't the opposition parties make good on gains from the last election? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Good governance could drive 10% annual growth across Africa: ASG president
Egypt - Following its successful launch in Lagos, the African School of Governance (ASG) continued its pan-African tour in Cairo from April 28–30, 2025, during the Future of Digital Countries (FDC) Summit. Led by ASG President Kingsley Moghalu, the tour aims to forge strategic partnerships and attract top talent for the institution's Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme, underscoring the critical role of governance in driving Africa's development. Speaking at the Cairo event, Moghalu emphasized that ASG—the first African-founded institution focused exclusively on governance—is pioneering a locally grounded, action-oriented model of leadership education. The school's MPA programme blends coursework in leadership, governance, African history, international relations, and decision sciences, tailored to address Africa's unique challenges. 'Implementing good governance principles adapted to Africa's realities, along with sound policy-making, can significantly enhance the continent's economic performance,' said Moghalu. 'We estimate that such reforms could increase annual growth by at least 10% and lift nearly 700 million people out of poverty.' During his visit, Moghalu held discussions with Egyptian government and civil society representatives to explore opportunities for Egyptian youth to join the inaugural MPA cohort. ASG plans to enroll 50 students from across the continent, including 10 from Egypt, when the programme launches in Kigali in September 2025. 'Africa must become a producer of technology, not merely a consumer,' Moghalu stated, reinforcing ASG's vision to reshape governance and innovation across the continent. 'Africa cannot transform without a generation of enlightened public leaders—individuals who combine intellectual rigor, ethical commitment, and strategic foresight.' ASG has already attracted significant interest from academic and institutional stakeholders. The MPA programme is supported by key partnerships, including the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Mastercard Foundation. The school will also host a research center focused on technological governance. Moghalu highlighted that technology will be central to Africa's future, pointing to the continent's scientific legacy and rising innovation potential. ASG's curriculum integrates courses on science, technology, and innovation, aiming to train leaders who can harness these tools to enhance productivity, governance, and resource management in the digital economy. 'Education is fundamental to Africa's transformation,' he said. 'At ASG, we train practitioners—decision-makers capable of implementing effective, context-specific policies across the continent.' The ASG MPA programme is priced at $15,000—significantly lower than the estimated $80,000 tuition at leading global institutions like Harvard—making it a high-value and accessible opportunity for aspiring African public leaders. With $20m in funding already secured, ASG is calling on ambitious and committed young Africans to join what Moghalu described as 'an unprecedented intellectual and civic journey.'
Daily News Egypt
04-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Good governance could drive 10% annual growth across Africa: ASG president
Following its successful launch in Lagos, the African School of Governance (ASG) continued its pan-African tour in Cairo from April 28–30, 2025, during the Future of Digital Countries (FDC) Summit. Led by ASG President Kingsley Moghalu, the tour aims to forge strategic partnerships and attract top talent for the institution's Master of Public Administration (MPA) programme, underscoring the critical role of governance in driving Africa's development. Speaking at the Cairo event, Moghalu emphasized that ASG—the first African-founded institution focused exclusively on governance—is pioneering a locally grounded, action-oriented model of leadership education. The school's MPA programme blends coursework in leadership, governance, African history, international relations, and decision sciences, tailored to address Africa's unique challenges. 'Implementing good governance principles adapted to Africa's realities, along with sound policy-making, can significantly enhance the continent's economic performance,' said Moghalu. 'We estimate that such reforms could increase annual growth by at least 10% and lift nearly 700 million people out of poverty.' During his visit, Moghalu held discussions with Egyptian government and civil society representatives to explore opportunities for Egyptian youth to join the inaugural MPA cohort. ASG plans to enroll 50 students from across the continent, including 10 from Egypt, when the programme launches in Kigali in September 2025. 'Africa must become a producer of technology, not merely a consumer,' Moghalu stated, reinforcing ASG's vision to reshape governance and innovation across the continent. 'Africa cannot transform without a generation of enlightened public leaders—individuals who combine intellectual rigor, ethical commitment, and strategic foresight.' ASG has already attracted significant interest from academic and institutional stakeholders. The MPA programme is supported by key partnerships, including the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Mastercard Foundation. The school will also host a research center focused on technological governance. Moghalu highlighted that technology will be central to Africa's future, pointing to the continent's scientific legacy and rising innovation potential. ASG's curriculum integrates courses on science, technology, and innovation, aiming to train leaders who can harness these tools to enhance productivity, governance, and resource management in the digital economy. 'Education is fundamental to Africa's transformation,' he said. 'At ASG, we train practitioners—decision-makers capable of implementing effective, context-specific policies across the continent.' The ASG MPA programme is priced at $15,000—significantly lower than the estimated $80,000 tuition at leading global institutions like Harvard—making it a high-value and accessible opportunity for aspiring African public leaders. With $20m in funding already secured, ASG is calling on ambitious and committed young Africans to join what Moghalu described as 'an unprecedented intellectual and civic journey.'
