IPS Podcast — Singapore Unpacked

What does it mean be Singaporean? In a recent study conducted by IPS and CNA, many identified Singlish, multiculturalism and iconic national symbols such as the Merlion and local hawker fare to be what they associate closely with Singapore’s national identity. It prompts the question, how did we arrive at this national identity, and how will it evolve as the world around us changes?  In the tenth...

Casual racism in Singapore often emerges not from deliberate malice, but from unconscious biases embedded in everyday choices at work. In this episode of Singapore Unpacked, host Liang Kaixin is joined by IPS researcher, Sophy Tio, and Lepak Conversations founder and Director, Yulianna Frederika, to unpack how unconscious bias operates within the context of workplace life. Drawing on Sophy’s exper...

Headlines about million-dollar HDB flats have revived big questions about affordability and purpose. In this episode, host Liang Kaixin speaks with Christopher Gee, Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow at IPS, and Ismail Gafoor, Executive Chairman at PropNex Realty, to explore what housing means to Singaporeans today and what it ought to mean for the next generation. Together they unpack the...

Deepfake technology has come a long way, but its misuse is creating real-world damages, especially amongst Singapore’s youths. In this episode, host Liang Kaixin is joined by Dr Annabelle Chow, Principal Clinical Psychologist at Annabelle Psychology, and Dr Chew Han Ei, Senior Research Fellow and Head, Governance and Economy at IPS,  to unpack the fallout from the recent Singapore Sports School in...

Are you concerned that robots might be coming for your job? With Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancing at lightning speed, many Singaporeans are asking tough questions about their future in the workforce. In this episode, host Liang Kaixin sits down with Dr Laurel Teo, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Society and Culture at IPS, and Jonathan Sim, Lecturer at the NUS Learning & Development A...

With the COVID-19 pandemic normalising work-from-home arrangements and a growing need to juggle careers with caregiving for young children or seniors, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) took effect last December to help employees and employers find a balance. In this episode of Singapore Unpacked , host Liang Kaixin sits down with Dr Tan Poh Lin, IPS Senior Research Fel...

Every now and then, discussions on the CMIO model — Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others — resurface in Singapore, debating its usefulness and relevance. In the latest 2024 Institute of Policy Studies survey on Race, Religion and Language which polled 4,000 Singaporean residents, when asked whether to keep, remove or change the CMIO framework, as many as one in five respondents (22 per cent) chose th...

In this episode of Singapore Unpacked, host Liang Kaixin examines whether the widely held stereotypes about younger Singaporeans and their spending habits hold water. Drawing on insights from the IPS–CNA survey on financing behaviours among millennials and Gen Z in Singapore, the episode unpacks how these cohorts really manage their money — from the appeal of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes to t...

In this timely episode of Singapore Unpacked, host Liang Kaixin explores the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) on the integrity of Singapore’s electoral process. As advanced AI tools generate increasingly realistic deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation, concerns grow not only in global contexts — as seen in recent US elections — but also here at home. With the introduction of S...

Singapore Unpacked | Episode 1 — Large families scheme – will it nudge families to have a third kid? The first episode of IPS Podcast —  Singapore Unpacked delves into the new Large Families Scheme announced in the Budget 2025 statement, aimed at addressing the nation's declining birth rate. The initiative provides additional financial support to parents who welcome a third or subsequent child, ra...

IPS Podcast — Singapore Unpacked will deep dive into IPS’s latest research projects and policy updates in Singapore, bridging the gap between data and daily life. In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will sit down with a researcher and a guest to unpack what these findings mean for Singapore and beyond.