- 25 Feb 2021
Annual Conference 2021
About the Annual Conference
The staggering growth in trade between Asia and the Middle East offers both new opportunities and challenges that Singapore may contribute to and benefit from. Technology, human capital development, people-to-people ties and sustainable city development are just some of the opportunities at hand.
Thus, this year’s conference is centred around the theme ‘Meeting the Future Together: Opportunities and Challenges for the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East’.
The Middle East Institute’s Annual Conference 2021, spanning three days, will present panel discussions with experts and policymakers on trade, technology and education. This enables us to identify potential growth areas, future opportunities, understand how robust these sectors are and their pivotal role in paving the way for both regions to achieve their strategic priorities.
Opening Speech
Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Singapore
To watch the opening speech, click here.
Panel Sessions
Day 1 (Tuesday, 23 February 2021)
Topic: Trade – A Cornerstone of the New East-West Asia Connection
Keynote Speaker: Dr Tan See Leng, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore
Moderator: Ms Kathy Lai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Singapore
Panel Members:
- Dr Choi Byung-il, Professor, Ewha Womans University & President, Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies
- Mr Masakazu Toyoda, President, Institute of Energy Economics Japan
- Dr Omar Al-Ubaydli, Director of Research, Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat)
- Professor Shen Dingli, Director, Programme on Arms Control and Regional Security, Fudan University
To watch the panel session for day one, click here.
Day 2 (Wednesday, 24 February 2021)
Topic: The Role of Technology – Building Resilience through Smart Cities and Cybersecurity
Keynote Speaker: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation Initiative, Singapore
Moderator: Mr David Koh, Chief Executive Officer, Cyber Security Agency Singapore
Panel Members:
- Dr Gulshan Rai, Former National Cyber Security Coordinator, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of India and Director on the Board of National Stock Exchange
- Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, Head, Security Studies Programme and Head, Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Studies Centre, Tel Aviv University
- Dr Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice-President (Research & Development), Khalifa University
To watch the panel session for day two, click here.
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Day 3 (Thursday, 25 February 2021)
Topic: Human Capital Development – Building Resilience through Education and Training
Keynote Speaker: Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Finance, Singapore
Moderator: Professor Tan Eng Chye, President, National University of Singapore
Panel Members:
- Professor Abdullah Baabood, Visiting Professor, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies, School of International Liberal Studies Waseda University
- Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor & President, Australian National University, 2011 Nobel Laureate Physics
- Professor Guido Saracco, Rector, President, Commission for Strategies for Development, Politecnico di Torino
- Professor Mariët Westermann, Vice Chancellor & Professor, NYU Abu Dhabi
- Mr Shigeo Katsu, President, Nazarbayev University
To watch the panel session for day three, click here.
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Join us for this three-day virtual conference on Zoom (23 February 2021 – 25 February 2021) from the comfort of your home. Please click HERE for the latest programme details.
This event is free. However, registration is compulsory.
Register for the Middle East Institute’s Annual Conference 2021 below. Please click on the corresponding links to indicate interest for your preferred day(s).
Day 1 (Tuesday, 23 February 2021, 4pm to 6.30pm Singapore Standard Time), click HERE
Day 2 – (Wednesday, 24 February 2021, 4pm to 6.30pm Singapore Standard Time), click HERE.
Day 3 – (Thursday, 25 February 2021, 4pm to 6.30pm Singapore Standard Time), click HERE.
For photos of the event, you may click here.
About the Speakers
Mr Teo Chee Hean
Senior Minister
(Opening Speech)
Dr Tan See Leng
Minister, Prime Minister’s office, Second Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr Lawrence Wong
Minister for Education and Second Minister for Finance
Mr Teo Chee Hean was appointed Senior Minister on 1 May 2019. He also serves, since 21 May 2011, as Coordinating Minister for National Security. He also oversees the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group, the National Security Coordination Secretariat, the National Population and Talent Division and the National Climate Change Secretariat under the Prime Minister’s Office.
A veteran medical practitioner, Dr Tan See Leng was Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at IHH HealthCare Berhad from 2014 to 2019. During Dr Tan’s tenure, the group doubled its revenue from RM 6 billion to RM 12 billion.
Dr Tan was also Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Parkway Pantai Limited from 2010 to 2019. Under his leadership, Parkway Pantai attained a successful listing, raising USD 2.1 billion in 2012.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative.
He previously served as Minister for the Environment and Water Resources; Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports; Second Minister for Trade and Industry; Minister-in-charge of Entrepreneurship; and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2001.
Mr Lawrence Wong was elected a Member of Parliament in May 2011 and was re-elected in September 2015 and July 2020. He has held positions in the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of National Development. After the 2020 General Election, he was appointed the Minister for Education and the Second Minister for Finance.
