Foreword “The Heart of Learning” – Commemorating the transformation of UniSIM to SUSS, 2017. his book was conceived during a wave of anti-globalisation fervour in the Western world, Texpressed through a series of political events including Brexit, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, and high anxiety in Western Europe about the rise of far-right political parties in the Netherlands, France and beyond. As this book’s manuscript was being finalised, the geopolitical situation appeared to have settled somewhat; or in the parlance of market economists, these events and possibilities had somehow been “factored in”, and the world had moved on. The recent election of Emmanuel Macron as President of France in May 2017 over his nationalist opponent Marine Le Pen brought further relief to those who believed in liberal democratic values and the global market economy. It seemed that the existing regime would not topple after all. Free trade, financial capitalism, open borders, would all continue, although they would no longer be put on a pedestal. Nevertheless, the challenges of globalisation remain. Although the globalisation of the twentieth century has brought hundreds of millions of people around the world out of poverty, it has also caused huge dislocations in social and economic lives and precipitated severe income and wealth inequalities. Accompanied by rapid technological advances in recent decades, the world is experiencing great uncertainty, felt at both the individual and community levels. Painful disruptions brought by technological advancement have occurred before, but the speed and the scale of the current 4th Industrial Revolution are unprecedented. There is now a pervasive fear and anxiety among the working and middle classes, as the benefits of efficiency and automation are seen to be concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few. Upward social mobility — hitherto a pillar of social stability — is being diminished. Technology itself does not lead to war, conflict, or revolution. It is the social organisation of technology and the distribution of its rewards that lead to disruption, inequality and discontent. The way technology is developed and harnessed is therefore crucial to the advancement of world peace and stability. It is the way that we interact with technology and utilise it for social purposes that enables the enhancement of human well-being. In academia, the broad disciplines of the Social Sciences have long served as the anchor of economic, political, and social policies. Together with the Humanities, these disciplines have incubated many great leaders of the world, past and present. However, the importance of the Human and Social Sciences has not always been acknowledged locally, with other disciplines often taking centre stage in the educational landscape. This is why the establishment of the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) as the 6th autonomous university is a highly significant event for higher education in Singapore. In my mind, Singapore’s ideology of pragmatism must be steeped in the knowledge of what works and what does not work in human society. This is the unique contribution of the social sciences. Having seen and personally participated in the development of these disciplines over the past five decades, I can truly say that the time for recognition of the social sciences in Singapore has arrived. The scope of the potential contribution by SUSS is great, given the prospect of slower economic growth as Singapore’s economy matures. Many of our society’s most pressing issues can be conceptualised and addressed by the social sciences, such as our ageing population, rising aspirations for a higher quality of life, globalisation of work and population mobility, changing family and socio-cultural values, environmental sustainability, national security and resilience issues, and more. At the same time, the University has a huge responsibility to teach social sciences in the right way, by holding up high academic standards, proving the practical relevance of various fields, and providing a sound framework (including knowledge, skills, and values) for the graduates’ engagement with societal issues. Sound knowledge, research methods and analytic skills are particularly important in this day and age, when many have misappropriated concepts and language from the social sciences. Such practices are rife in sensationalist popular culture, social media, and in “populist” political discourse. This book collects perspectives from SUSS faculty on facing the challenges of a fast-changing world. Inter-disciplinary and experiential approaches, rooted in the social sciences, are the University’s unique contribution, and I am confident that this will enable our students to gain a worthwhile, holistic education, and ultimately to make a difference to society. At the Heart of Learning is the human purpose. Herein lies the social mission of the University. I wish SUSS a shining future! Aline WONG Chancellor SUSS Singapore University of Social Sciences Neelam AGGARWAL A purposeful journey, blazing a trail, Upwards and onwards, a will to prevail; Touching lives, shaping futures, a social mission, Ceaseless learning, an unwavering vision. Changing landscapes drawing forth new exploration, Profusion of choices, personal and social edification; Expanding horizons to embrace globalisation, Real-world issues, social needs, ageing population. Developing habits upright, inspiring motivation, Head, heart, a will for rigorous application; Serving society through applied orientation, Having robust, ethical, exemplary dedication. Upwards and onwards, the journey resumes, New demands to meet, professionals groomed; Shaping a better nation, scaling new heights, A tomorrow better, with fresh new insights. Contents Chapter 1 Introduction: Why We Do What We Do 1 Post-Brexit World Chapter 2 Skills Training, Technology Change, and the Income Gap 11 Chapter 3 Technology Trends and Societal Impact 21 Chapter 4 The Wealth of Singaporeans in a Global Perspective: Risks and Challenges 35 Chapter 5 Disruptions and Discoveries in World Economic History 47 Societal Needs Chapter 6 What’s so Social? Change, Integration, and Social Resilience 61 Chapter 7 Early Childhood Education: Redressing Old Assumptions, Uncovering Myths 73 Chapter 8 Ageing Society: Implications for a New Social Contract 85 Chapter 9 Doing Good: Driving Business and Social Excellence 97 Chapter 10 Design by Design 107 Chapter 11 Cities of the Future: Singapore Public Transport 2030 117 Chapter 12 Humans Still Matter in Productivity, Safety, and Technology 127 Chapter 13 Training Future Lawyers: The Multi-disciplinary and Applied Skills Approach 139 University Education Chapter 14 What Makes An Educated Person? 149 Chapter 15 The Place of Cultural Education 161 Chapter 16 Service-Learning: Appreciating the Community as Co-Educator 171 Chapter 17 Towards an HR Science: The Marriage of Technology and Human Enterprise – Consummate Partners or Strange Bedfellows? 183 Chapter 18 FinTech Tsunami: Blockchain as the Driver of 4th Industrial Revolution 193 Chapter 19 Developing a Student Success Ecosystem for Online Learning in Higher Education 207 Chapter 20 Learning (and Other) Analytics in Higher Education 219 Lifelong Learning Chapter 21 Cultural Competence and Lifelong Learning: Through the Lenses of the Humanities and Social Sciences 233 Chapter 22 Linking Theory and Practice in Rapid Knowledge Obsolescence Environment 245 Chapter 23 What Does It Mean To Be a University for Lifelong Learning? 255 Chapter 24 Fulfilling Aspirations: An Open Invitation 263 The Heart of Learning Chapter 1 Introduction: Why We Do What We Do LEONG Thin Yin and CHEAH Horn Mun Background he workforce in advanced economies has been trying to cope with dynamic Tchanges brought about by economic growth and scientific advancements. These changes pose new challenges for private and public sector organisations, training institutions, and government agencies responsible for designing policies that promote lifelong learning, skills upgrading, and self-directed learning. The book is organised into four sections:Post-Brexit World, Societal Needs, University Education, and Lifelong Learning. Each section sets the stage for what is happening in our world today, the challenges faced in our community and society at large, the impact of university education now and beyond, and how it should be broadened to support learning as a lifelong habit. This overview of the educational approach of the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) reinforces the role it seeks to play in the evolving tertiary education landscape by incorporating different approaches and activities into theHeart of Learning of the University. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction: Why We Do What We Do Post-Brexit World The opening section provides the socio-economic context, background, and framework for later sections. It touches on key concerns facing our world today such as social policy, globalisation, economic and technological changes, and specific skills training settings and provisioning. These concerns arise from policies and ideologies governing technological advancement and economic globalisation. While these have brought about strong economic growth, they have also contributed to severe recessions, such as the dot com meltdown in 2001 and the ‘great recession’ in 2008-2009. Despite significant wealth generation over time, it has been distributed in a manner that has increased economic inequality. Credit Suisse