Company Profile

Company Overview

In the 21st Century, one trend will be clear: the re-emergence, and renaissance, of Asian societies and civilisations. As Asian economies continue their rapid growth and development, the challenge will be for Asian systems of governance to keep pace and adapt to the new realities created by their rapidly globalising economies.

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy was established in 2004 with the mission of educating and training the next generation of Asian policymakers and leaders. Its objectives are to raise the standards of governance throughout the region, improve the lives of the region’s people and, in so doing, contribute to the transformation of Asia. Throughout Asia, the demand for a first-rate public policy education is growing. The School is thus in the right place at the right time.

Although the School was formally launched in 2004, it has inherited a rich legacy left by its predecessor, the Public Policy Programme, set up in 1992 in partnership with the John F Kennedy School of Government (KSG) at Harvard University. To this day the School continues to maintain its strong partnership with KSG. At the same time, the School has developed new partnerships with Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA), the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). These three educational institutes are the founding members of the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN), an initiative to bring together leading institutions from academia and practice to engage in a substantive dialogue around issues of global public policy concern. In July 2007, just barely three years after it was set up, the School established double degrees with LSE, Sciences Po and SIPA and was formally admitted into the GPPN, becoming the latest and only Asian member. With these partnerships, we look forward to training a new generation of globally-minded public policymakers.

Currently, the School offers one PhD and three Masters programmes: the Master in Public Policy; Master in Public Administration; Master in Public Management; and Doctor of Philosophy. While the curricula of the these programmes are structured around curricula and pedagogic methods followed by many leading schools of public policy around the world, they also stand out for their emphasis on the public policy experiences of Asian countries and the critical challenges facing them. In addtion, the School launched the Concurrent Degree Degree programmes with NUS Business School and Faculty of Law in July 2007, and the Double Degree programmes with them in January 2008.

The School also offers a diverse range of high quality executive programmes. Its flagship month-long executive programme, the Senior Management Programme, delivered by world-class faculty and practitioners, is offered jointly with SIPA and provides an innovative curriculum around the evergreen themes of Leadership, Governance and Global Trends. In July 2007, we also established the Executive Diploma in Public Administration (EDPA) with the Dubai School of Government (DSG). The EDPA combines the academic rigour of leadership and public management tools and frameworks with Asian and Middle Eastern perspectives and experiences.

Among the many strengths of the School is a diverse faculty drawn from all over the world. An equally diverse student population from all over Asia and beyond provides a rich and lively learning environment both in and out of the classroom. Much of the learning in graduate schools comes from fellow students and in this regard the School provides a unique opportunity to network with future generations of Asian policymakers and leaders. The School is also home to centres of excellence that bring us to the forefront of research and policymaking on globalisation, competitiveness and water policy, among others. These make the School an attractive venue for many world leaders, policymakers and opinion-formers who frequently visit the School to give public lectures and interact with our students.

The School is growing rapidly. We began in August 2004 with 50 students. A year later, our enrolment more than doubled to 106 students and in August 2006, we again more than doubled to over 217 students (with about 80% coming from overseas). By March 2008, our students numbered 258 from 37 countries and territories, signifying an expanding diversity. This growing student population means that the School’s community of alumni is also growing. Today the School enjoys the support of 578 alumni from around 30 countries, many of whom have risen to prominent positions in their organisations.