Asia Governance and Public Administration

In the ongoing quest to promote good governance and public services, this cluster of research focuses on inter-disciplinary research areas that cut across social sciences, technology and public administration on international and global scale, particularly through a comparative perspective between Asia and other parts of the world:

Emerging Governance Model in Asia

This research area studies the shift in power from West to East, taking place in the geo-political domain and focuses on the emerging governance model in Asia as an alternative to the conventional Western governance models.

Comparative Studies on Governance and Public Administration

This research takes a comparative development perspective to examine governance, public administration, public policies, entrepreneurship, industrial and economic development of Singapore and different countries in Asia. Topics include but not limited to public sector reforms, public sector motivation; policy experimentation; innovation and technology; water governance; whole-of-government collaboration; network governance; sustainable development; labour laws and wages, tax and trade policies etc.

Under this cluster research, related thematic conferences, seminars, forums and speakers’ series are also organised on an ongoing basis to provide platforms for exchanges between students, academics and practitioners. Several of these seminars combine multiple disciplines, perspectives to engage both scholars and policymakers to deliberate issues and bridge research and practice.

 

Lien International Conference on Good Governance

The Lien International Conference on Good Governance is a biennial event that gathers local and international academics, practitioners and researchers to examine major issues in governance, public service delivery and evaluation. In the previous years, the event has been graced by leaders and ministers such as the late President S R Nathan, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister Ong Ye Kung and Minister Josephine Teo as Guests of Honour and feature high profile speakers from various fields. 

To delve into the pivotal role of governance and policy in fostering resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity amidst these pressing global challenges, the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) and Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship (LYCLF) at NTU Singapore organised the Lien International Conference on Good Governance on 25-26 August 2023.

 

                                 

 

The IIAS-LIEN 2019 Conference with the theme on Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Governance, was jointly organised with the international institute of Administrative Studies (IIAS) from 18 to 21 June 2019, drew about 550 participants from over 50 countries and was reported in various local and foreign national media platforms.

 

 

NCPA Distinguished Speaker Series

 

The NCPA Distinguished Speaker Series features distinguished leading experts in the field to address theoretical discourse on Public Administration and provide timely observations and analyses. At the inaugural session in August 2017, Professor Justin Lin, the former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank (2008 to 2012) was invited to deliver a speech on “China’s Rise and Implications for Developing World and Economics”.​

Since the COVID-19 outbreak which has crippled various sectors and industries around the world, resulting in adverse impact to economy, business continuity and sustainability, NCPA has also embarked on an array of interdisciplinary comparative research and webinars to explore trade, socioeconomic, cultural impacts to provide insights on good governance for recovery in the post-pandemic era.

 

NCPA Webinar Series on Restructuring Economy for Recovery – Post Covid-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Since then, it has ripped through the global economy, affecting lives, jobs and societies, exposing weaknesses of global supply chains and crippling the aviation and hotel industries.

Co-organised with the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) and chaired by Mr Douglas Foo (Immediate Past President and Council member of SMF), this three-part Dialogue Series designed around different themes and focuses hope to bring together policymakers, business leaders and consultants to come together to discuss and deliberate how governments, businesses and society should work together to restructure the economy in Singapore to pave the way for recovery.

The first session features Mr Patrick Tay (Member of Parliament for Pioneer SMC and Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC); Mr Melvin Tan (Group Managing Director of Cyclect Holdings Group); Mr Vincent Wong (Director of R&D for Continental Automotive Singapore); and Mr Chua Chee Seong (President and Managing Director of Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd), focuses on how the manufacturing sectors in Singapore adapted to heightened economic volatility and geopolitical tensions in global markets. The discussion centred on how manufacturers in Singapore adopted emerging technologies to enhance long-term sustainability and resiliency in the increasingly volatile and challenging business environment, as a means to meet the talent gap, and reinforce their ability to anticipate and meet demand in the post-COVID world.

Restructuring Economy for Recovery

 

Good Governance in A Post Covid-19 World: Global Health and Economic Recovery

Book coversGood governance has become an increasingly important topic not only in research, but also policy. This trend has been reinforced by the rise of new challenges and opportunities that are brought about by aging populations, economic slowdowns, climate change, deglobalisation, geopolitical tensions, new technological revolution, and the global pandemic. This edited volume by Prof Liu Hong, Dr Celia Lee and Mr Jeremy Goh from NCPA, prepared in collaboration with the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, is a collection of chapters written by leading practitioners and academics from around the world, offering insightful and multidisciplinary perspectives on good governance in the post-COVID 19 era.

 

Lien International Conference on Good Governance 2023

 

Good Governance for the Common Good

 

25-26 August 2023
arkebe 2

NCPA Distinguished Speaker Series Lecture by Professor Arkebe Oqubay

 

Asian Transformation and Global South Cooperation

 

11 November 2022

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Lien Development Conference 2022

 

The Dynamics of Governance in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous World

 

25-26 November 2022
Picture 2

NCPA Webinar Series

 

Dialogue on Environment, Social and Governance and Impact on Your Business

 

13 April 2022
IMG_5240

Professor Liu Hong Invited to Speak at the OECD Global Network of Schools of Government Annual Meeting

 

Exploring post-pandemic learning cultures in the public sector

 

Athens, Greece 20-21 June 2022

Lien International Conference on Good Governance 2021

 

Good Governance in the Post COVID-19 World Global Health and Economic Recovery

 

22-23 November 2021
Picture 3

NCPA Webinar Series

 

Dialogue on Restructuring Economy for Recovery - Post COVID-19: Restructuring and Recovery for the Services Sector

 

28 October 2021

Picture 4

NCPA Webinar Series

 

Social Policies and Community Building in the Age of Digitalisation – Post Covid-19 Norm

 

30 November 2020

NCPA Distinguished Speaker Lecture by Mr Lim Swee Say

 

2C+SD => Better Life for All

 

11 November 2019

NCPA Distinguished Speaker Lecture by NTU President Professor Subra Suresh

 

Higher Education, Technological Innovation and Leadership Development

 

17 October 2018

Picture 5

Lien International Conference on Good Governance 2017

 

Forging Toward an Inclusive and Sustainable Globalization

 

27-28 October 2017

Books

Liu, Hong (2022), The Political Economy of Transnational Governance in Asia:

China and Southeast Asia in the 21st Century. London and New York: Routledge

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003102359

 

Chew, S.B, Huang, L.L & Kwa, K.X. eds. (2021). Political, Economic and Social

Dimensions of Labour Market: A Global Insight. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing

https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12275#t=aboutBook

 

Liu, Hong (2020). “The Logic of Transnational Governance and Asian Practices”.

Beijing: China Social Science Publishing House (In Chinese)

https://doi.org/10.1142/S1793724821000146

 

Wang Tingyan and Liu Hong, eds., (2019). An Emerging Asian Model of Governance

and Transnational Knowledge Transfer. London: Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2018.1477030

 

Liu Hong, Ma Sirui, Wang Ting-Yan (2017), “Forging Ahead Toward an Inclusive and

Sustainable Globalisation: Selected Articles from the 2017 Lien International Conference”. NCPA

For more information......Book/Article 

Book Chapters & Special Issues

2023

Liu, H., Lee, C. & Goh, J. (2023). Introduction: Good Governance in a Post COVID-19

World: Global Health and Economic Recovery in idem, eds. Good Governance in a Post

COVID-19 World: Global Health and Economic Recovery. Brussels: International Institute

of Administrative Sciences, pp.1-10

For more information......Book/Article 

 

 

Lee, C. & Goh, J. (2023). “Continuing Education and Training in a Post COVID-19

Singapore” in Liu, H.; Lee, C. & Goh, J. eds. Good Governance in a Post COVID-19 World:

Global Health and Economic Recovery. Brussels: International Institute of Administrative

Sciences, pp.160-174

For more information......Book/Article 

 

Fisher, D. & Goh, J. (2023). "Managing COVID-19: Singapore’s experience from a medical

practitioner’s perspective" in Liu, H.; Lee, C. & Goh, J. eds. Good Governance in a Post

COVID-19 World: Global Health and Economic Recovery. Brussels: International Institute

of Administrative Sciences, pp. 253-258

For more information......Book/Article 

 

2021

Chew, Soon Beng, Lingli, Huang and Kai, Xiang Kwa. (2021). “Labour Market Issues in

Selected Countries”. In Chew, Soon Beng, Lingli Huang and Kai Xiang Kwa, eds., Political,

Economic and Social Dimensions of Labour Market: A Global Insight. Singapore:

World Scientific Publishing

https://doi.org/10.1142/12275

 

2020

Lee, Celia (2020). “Responses of Singapore to COVID-19 Pandemic: The Whole-of-Government

Approach”. In Paul Joyce, Fabienne Maron, & Purshottama Sivanarain Reddy, eds., Good

Public Governance in a Global Pandemic. Brussels: IIAS-IISA

https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9782931003022

 

2019

Lee, Celia, (2019). The Leadership of Balancing Control and Autonomy in Public Sector

Networks: The Case of Singapore. In An Emerging Asian Model of Governance and

Transnational Knowledge Transfer, Ting-yan Wang and Hong Liu (eds.), pp. 31-52.

London: Routledge. 

For more information......Book/Article 

 

Lim, Guanie, (2019). Public Policy with Vietnamese Characteristics: The Case of the Motorcycle

Industry. In An Emerging Asian Model of Governance and Transnational Knowledge Transfer,

Ting-yan Wang and Hong Liu (eds.), pp. 106-124. London: Routledge. 

For more information......Book/Article 

 

Lim, Guanie. and Nguyen, T.T., (2019). Banking Reform in Vietnam: Persistence of the State?

In Geofinance between Political and Financial Geographies: A Focus on the Semi-Periphery of

the Global Financial System, S. Grandi, C. Sellar, and J. Jafri (eds.), pp. 155-174.

Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

For more information......Book/Article 

Articles

2023

Goh, J. and Koh, K.W. (2023). Industrialization and Chinese Big Business in Colonial Singapore,

Malaya, and China: The Transnational Enterprises of Lim Peng Siang (1904-1941). Journal of

Southeast Asian Studies, DOI: 10.1017/S002246342300019X

 

2022

Kah Seng Loh and Jeremy Goh (2022). Semi-archives and Interim Archives: A History of the

National Wages Council in Singapore. Southeast Asian Studies, 11:3, 427-449.

DOI: 10.20495/seas.11.3_427

 

Kevin Chandra, Jue Wang, Ning Luo, and Xun Wu (2022). “Asymmetry in the distribution of

benefits of cross-border regional innovation systems: The Hong Kong-Shenzhen case”, Regional Studies

https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2022.2126450

 

Liu, H. and Huang, L.L (2022). Paradox of Superdiversity: Contesting Racism and

‘Chinese Privilege’ in Singapore. Journal of Chinese Overseas, 18(2), pp. 287-311

https://doi.org/10.1163/17932548-12341468

 

Lim,  G.  &  Xu,  C.   (2022).   The  Political  Economy  of   Japan’s   Development  Strategy

under China-US Rivalry:  The  Crane,  the   Dragon,  and  the   Bald  Eagle.  The Chinese Economy.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10971475.2022.2136692

 

Lim, G. & Xu, C. (2022). Global Britain Goes to Southeast Asia: Investment Flows in an Era

of Great Power Competition. Taiwan Insight.

For more information......Book/Article 

 

Straughan, P. T., & Xu, C. (2022). Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Childhood Obesity

in Singapore. SAGE Open, 12(4),  -1.

https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221144436

 

Xu,  C.  (2022). Work Motivation in  the  Public  Service:A  Scale  Development Based  on  the 

Self-Determination Theory.  SAGE Open, 12(2),  -1.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/21582440221091263

 

Chen, CA. Xu, C., & Chen, D. (2022). “Expecting children to be dragons” in an East Asian context:

Parental expectations of children choosing a career in the public sector. Asia Pacific Journal of

Public Administration, https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2022.2039073

 

Goh, Jeremy (2022). Book Review: Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore

by Loh Kah Seng et. al. Berita (Official Publication of Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei Studies Group,

Association for Asian Studies), 48(1), pp. 52-56

https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/theatres-of-memory

 

Goh, Jeremy (2022). Between ethnicity and dialect: The organization, scope and clientele of the Kwong

Yik Bank in Singapore. Berita (Official Journal of Malaysia/Singapore/Brunei Studies Group, Association

for Asian Studies), 48(1), pp. 17-30.

http://www.msbstudies.org/FINAL%20Berita%2048%20(1)%20(2022).pdf

 

Goh, Jeremy (2022). Between culture and enterprise: The business history of Tan Yeok Seong.

History Speaks, 48-61.

https://issuu.com/ntuhistoryspeaks/docs/historyspeaks_modified_4_

 

2021

Lee, C., Lee, J.M. & Liu, Y.P. (2021). Catalysing Innovation and Digital Transformation in Combating

the Covid-19 Pandemic: Whole of Government Collaborations in ICT, R&D and Business Digitization

in Singapore. Public Money and Management. DOI: 10.1080/09540962.2021.1966197

 

Wang, J., Chandra, K., Du, C., Ding, W.Z and Wu, X. (2021). Assessing the Potential of Cross-Border

Regional Innovation Systems: A Case Study of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Region.

Technology in Society 65: 101557

DOI:10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101557

 

Xu Chengwei (2021). Lessons from Public Servants Recruitment in Singapore. National Human Resource Forum,

12, available at https://www.exam.gov.tw/NHRF/ (In Chinese)

For more information......Book/Article 

 

Xu, C., Kwa, K.X., & Chen, CA. (2021). Recruitment, Motivation, and Retention of Public Servants: The Case of Singapore.

National Elites Quarterly, 14(3): 125-148. (In Chinese)

For more information......Book/Article 

 

2020

Liu, Y., Lee, J.M. & Lee, C. (2020). The Challenges and Opportunities of a Global Health Crisis: The Management

and Business Implications of COVID-19 from an Asian Perspective. Asian Business & Management, pp. 277-297

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41291-020-00119-x

 

Xu, C. & Chen, CA. (2020). Revisiting Motivations for a Public Service Career (MPSC): The case of China.

Public Personnel Management. Online first, https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026020964504.

 

Xu, C. & Wu, AM. (2020). International tax competition and foreign direct investment in the Asia-Pacific region:

a panel data analysis. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management.

Online first, https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-04-2020-0054

 

Zhang, Zegao and Liu Hong (2020). The Incrementalism Theory and Governance Capacity: A Case Study of

Singapore’s Anti-Convid-19 Measures. Hubei Social Sciences, No.8: 42-51. [In Chinese]

http://www.ir.xjtu.edu.cn/item/464021

 

2019

Liu, Hong & Zhou, Yishu. (2019). New Chinese Capitalism and ASEAN Economic Community, in Yos Santasombat, ed.,

The Sociology of Chinese Capitalism in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Prospects.

New York: Palgrave Macmillam, pp. 55-75.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-0065-3_3

 

Lee, Celia & Ma, Liang (2019). The Role of Policy Labs in Policy Experiment and Knowledge Transfer:

A Comparison across the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Singapore. J

ournal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2019.1668657

 

Wei Li, Jue Wang, Rongxiao Chen, Yongqin Xi, Shi Qiang Liu, Feimei Wu, Mahmoud Masoud, and

Xueping Wu (2019), “Innovation-driven industrial green development: the moderating role of

regional factors”. Journal of Cleaner Production 222: 344-354

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.027

 

Jue Wang and Rosalie Hooi (2019), “Motivation for innovation: A study of work climate among university faculty

in Singapore”. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 31(7): 862-874

https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2019.1566524

 

Huang, Lingli. (2019). Local Governance in Singapore, in edited book International Experiences on

Social Governance. Beijing: People’s Publishing House.

 

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