The author aims at answering the question: “What activities do the authorities undertake to manage the multiculturalism of the city-state which is situated at the intersection of three cultural spheres (the Chinese, Indian and Islamic) and which constitutes a unique mosaic of religions, denominations, beliefs, ideologies, ethnic and language groups? To what extent do the undertakings of state authorities affect social behaviour of citizens and their mentality?”. Using the document analysis (especially of legal acts), the author discusses: demographical issues, with special regard to the policy of positive discrimination towards autochthonous population of Singapore – Malayans; religious pluralism and secularity of the state which promotes religious harmony; some examples of reactions of the society and officials to the attitudes and statements posing threat to religious harmony; the linguistic policy called multilingualism (with special focus on the role of Singlish – the language which is becoming an attribute of the Singapore identity); the values which school implants in learners so that they could live together and build inclusive society. The author concludes that – in the conditions of Singapore – multiculturalism is becoming a socially functional phenomenon, which enhances the construction of inclusive society and its successful economic, social and cultural development. In the face of the European crisis of multiculturalism, the author encourages researchers to pay more attention to the positive experiences of the countries which do not belong to the European cultural circles.

Zapis debaty zorganizowanej przez Bibliotekę Publiczną m.st. Warszawy oraz Katedrę Studiów Azjatyckich Uniwersytetu SWPS 25 maja 2017 r.

Uczestnicy debaty:

• Krzysztof Gawlikowski
• Michał Kołodziejski
• Waldemar Dubaniowski
• Ksawery Burski
• Janusz Cieślak
• Krzysztof Szumski
• Krystyna Palonka
• Aleksander Bukowski
• Michał Strąk

Singapore: Global Metropolis Against New Challenges

For many reasons, Singapore is an exceptional country, sometimes referred to as “a piece of the West in Asia”, a place where the West meets with the East or as “Asian Switzerland”. Currently, the city-state can boast of great achievements, including the status of a global metropolis – the center of business, trade, maritime and air transport, finance, arbitration and tourism. For a long time, it has been at the top positions in global economic rankings, including the GDP per capita. It remains one of the most competitive economies in the world. In 2015, the city-state celebrated the 50th anniversary of independence, which was an opportunity to recall the key role played by Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of independence, the current economic strength and significant position of Singapore in the international arena. The principle of an open economy, which Singapore has been following from the beginning, was a key strategy for the development of modern and competitive industries and leverage to raise Singapore’s living standards to the highest world level. In its short history, the city-state faced challenges as it is now facing new internal (the question of maintaining stability after the loss of leader and strategist, such as Lee Kuan Yew) and the external challenges (transformation of the global balance of power, accommodating China’s rise in power, a change in the paradigm of the American administration’s trade policy under President D. Trump).
The aim of the article is to present these challenges that the Singaporeans – Government and Society – will have to solve in order to maintain economic growth, high standards of living and high international position in the post-Lee Kuan Yew era.

Lee Kuan Yew – a phenomenal visionary

The article presents the profile of Lee Kuan Yew – the founding father of modern Singapore and its prime minister from 1959 to 1990. The author outlines Lee’s background and the perspective on a changing region and on the global political economy. He presents the key insights and opinions of that grand strategist and visionary on geopolitics of East and West, globalization, economic growth, and democracy. The article offers Lee Kuan Yew’s assessment of the United States’ position as the world’s superpower, of the China’s future, India’s future, Islamic terrorism. It presents Lee’s strategic advice for dealing with China.

Singapore Golden Jubilee: Chinese community’s contribution to the building Singaporean national identity

The article presents the significant contributions of the Chinese community to the Singaporean nation building during the first 50 years of the independence. It is based on a book 50 Years of the Chinese Community in Singapore. The text presents the major Chinese organizations, including the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, the Chinese Development Assistance Council and the Chinese Heritage Centre. The author, former Polish ambassador to Singapore, outlines several main issues, that provoked controversies within the Chinese community, such as the use of the Chinese language and the integration of the new immigrants from China. The author presents also the role of the Chinese religions, the development of the cultural life, and the role played by the Singaporean Chinese in relations with China and the neighboring countries.

From the struggle for survival to world-class education – key programs in Singapore’s educational policy

The article draws attention to historical, political and legal aspects of the changes introduced in the Singapore education system. Educational reforms in this country have led to the formation of a highly effective system, i.e. world-class education. The aim of the article is to indicate some key programs of the government’s educational policy that have contributed to the country’s transition from the third world level to a leader of the first-world level. The article is a descriptive overview set in a temporal perspective. As such, it highlights the main changes in the organization and the functioning of the education system. Its five phases have been isolated and their specific features have been described. The effectiveness of the strategy adopted by Singapore has been assessed in the context of its political culture.