Research into Singapore youth

1. Young Singaporeans on their way forward

3. n the landscape of a country one of the brightest more important to understand and recognise young e key to understanding this fast changing
most vibrant and hopeful sectors of any population sians who are already shaping the future in sia demographic is to uncover their deeper values and
is its young people ey are essentially the future and beyond the way in which they think communicate and
of that society and they carry with them the hopes understand their world owever this is just the
dreams aspirations and expectations of an entire is brings us to ingapore a profitable and starting point – new lifestyles are derived from
generation of parents grandparents teachers and futuristic nation where the wheels of industry older values and mindsets – changed and adjusted
friends outh in sia are a particularly interesting and social policy turn like clockwork n some to fit into a new environment and a new faster and
and diverse demographic representing of the ways it can be termed a microcosm of a larger more integrated world ounger generations have
world s population of young people under the age first world nation – multicultural dynamic always carried different values to their predecessors
of ey are the figureheads of an increasingly global technologically future facing safe secure but with the rapid pace of industrialisation
open globalised and diverse region that in the past xcept it s a tiny island with a population of globalization and integration– often through
has been largely shielded from the rest of the world under million people s a tiny concentration of technology value sets are changing even more
youth residing in an sian if not global hub and rapidly and often in stark contrast to those of
sian youth has infiltrated the rest of the globe with nglish as one of their primary languages previous generations
at an unprecedented speed with the apanese ingaporean youth are probably some of the most
and oreans forging the way with their unique connected well travelled and well informed youth is book is an exploration of these young people
contributions to global popular culture in fashion groups on the planet s such they are also in a n particular the investigation centers around the
music style and design merican recording constant state of flux being presented daily with a new values and modern mindset of these young
artist producer and musician harrell illiams plethora of options for education their lifestyles people their attitudes towards ingapore as a global
partners with apanese streetwear line athing their futures ey are surrounded and influenced city but also their home and the elements which
pe ondon s ictoria lbert useum s hinese by a region that is fast becoming influential on both keep them in ingapore and encourage them
esign ow exhibition plays host to unique new the world stage ey want to take their proper to look to other countries for inspiration work and
and inspirational modern hinese design sia place not only as citizens of ingapore but also as study
is already in the limelight and therefore it s even citizens of the world

4. e ample
ingapore is home to diverse range of young Breakaway Points foreign students from ndonesia and hina who
people different socioeconomic levels educational longside identifying the correct attitudes it s were studying locally to further understand the
levels different races and of course different important to catch youth at specific stages of their pull that ingapore has for foreign sians and
cultures n undertaking this study it was clear that lives where they are more aware of their own bring a different practicle angle to the findings
the range of young people we spoke to were to be decision making processes e larger research
very specific kind of young ingaporean sample was split into reakaway oints points t some points it felt relevant to include a
at which youth are facing an important decision respondent who was outside the target group
e initial concern was that talented young making process e core idea was to tap into for the value they would add to the sample cases
ingaporeans who are interested in creative or the reasons for these decisions understand them in point were a year old entrepreneur and a
alternative careers might want to study and work and then leverage them into realistic and usable year old who is accepted into the first batch of
overseas and not return to ingapore – taking their drivers and barriers for the youth engagement with students in ingapore s newly established chool of
skill and talent with them ence the impetus on ingapore the rts
finding driven ambitious and talented youth with
a worldly view e irst reakaway oint is between econdary
chool and unior ollege or olytechnic – where
Demographics & Attitudes youth on either side of the break the end of
outh can mean many things to many different econdary school the beginning of unior ollege
people but the core age demographic for youth in or olytechnic were interviewed
this study was to years old male and female
and multi racial e econd reakaway oint is between unior
ollege and niversity – the greatest potential
e core idea was to find and engage with young for young ingaporeans to look overseas for study
ingaporeans with a specific kind of attitude and opportunities e sample was more heavily
mindset they were to be energetic and vital with weighted in favour of this reakaway oint and
an open and global sensibility is group of youth more youth at either side of this reakaway oint
are a unique set they are not the masses they the end of niversity and the beginning their first
are not the average they are a group are bright job were interviewed in comparison to the other
worldly and enthusiastic reakaway oints
ey are a skilled collective who are willing and reakaway oint occurred at two points – this
able to expose their talents to ingapore and the is essentially the last breakaway point and signifies
world who have ideas that are fresh and interesting the transition between education and a first job
and who are finding unique and modern ways to is reakaway oint can either at the end of
express them olytechnic or at the end of niversity and the
beginning of a first job e main difference being
ey have slightly different slightly offbeat that the olytechnic students are a few years
aspirations ballet dancing and culinary arts among younger then those who had completed university
them e found those who were educated
relatively well travelled articulate and lively e An Inclusive Sample
wanted to get a sense of their ambitions their side from being a racially diverse group centered
aspirations whether they would leave ingapore around different reakaway oints it was
and permanently or whether they felt that they important to include a sample of ingaporean
could find a way to accommodate their aspirations youth who were also in different locations around
and dreams in ingapore the globe whether for work or for study tudents
in hina and ustralia were sourced to contribute
ltimately these were to be the young people to the study as well as first jobbers in the in
who are tomorrow s industry leaders a small but order to evaluate their opinions
representative sample of the youth who will take
ingapore into the future o make the research even more robust we sourced

5. e hod
or a study such as this it is essential to engage with
youth in a format that feels natural and realistic to
them s such ethnography and blogging were the
most appropriate methods of research
Ethnography
nd ethnographic interview is essentially an
investigation into a subject in their natural
environment keeping them as close to their
comfort zone ensures that the research yields true
and telling reading of their lifestyle especially in
how their environment reflects their lifestyle and
attitudes thnographic interviews were conducted
with the respondents in their favorite hangout
places in their practice studios workplaces in their
offices and their bedrooms is made for a more
comfortable way in which to speak through and
understand their world as well as take in the visual
of what really influences them
Blogging
logging is a less conventional research tool but
one which woks particularly well with a youth
target or this study blogging was an obvious
choice – as blogs are a major part of every
teenager s life in particular in sia where certain
issues to do with politics sexuality and the like are
social taboos outh feel free to express themselves
in their blogs especially if the topics feel more
sensitive and personal
logging feels natural to these young people and as
such they were eager to engage in the blogs freely
uploading links and pictures of themselves their
friends and their lives
oth these methodologies give an immersive look
into their lives and their world

7. ( ew) alues & ttitudes
oung ingaporeans are realistic and positive about receiving news inspiration entertainment and
their lives ey have an optimistic and hopeful updates from around the world on their mobile
state of mind – everything feels possible but they phones and computers ey feel connected to a
are aware that they have to work hard and persevere global flux of youth culture and as such the do not
if they expect to achieve the lofty goals to which feel trapped in ingapore in any way and as such
they aspire they don t feel the need to escape
Reali ic… but Optimi ic! ese youth are outward looking they are
e realism in their outlook seems to stem from knowledgeable about the world and they want
a sense of hard work and perseverance which is to see feel and experience more and more ey
ingrained in them from an early age at school level feel that ingapore is a good home and a good
where they are streamed early on into academic place to establish oneself but due to basic physical
classes t that stage which they are taught to and geographical constraints its size its constant
apply themselves in order to achieve hile the weather patterns and its ideological constraints
streaming aspect of the school system comes ideas on education future money and social
under heavy fire from youth it does establish behaviour they are curious and eager to see what
a mindset whereby it s believed that hard work the world outside has to offer
reaps tangible rewards any students feel that
the strict streaming system dictates their future is realistic but optimistic mindset forms the
at too early an age and there needs to be more framework for the a more detailed investigation
space to breathe and explore at least at the school into their values
level evertheless the spirit of perseverance and
dedication to hard work seems well established in
this group
e inherent positivity in their minds comes not
only from simply being young but also from living
in a modern world they feel that anything and
everything is possible is occurs on two levels
both locally and on a more global level
ingapore the country itself provides a stable
home base from which these young people feel
confident to reach out and realize their dreams
ere is an obvious and expressed appreciation of
the positive infrastructural aspects of ingapore
– safety and security cleanliness efficiency of the
government working infrastructure hile there
is the obvious flip side to ingapore which is
expressed conservatism censorship and the like
however in terms of infrastructures ingapore is
seen is a very positive light
Citizens of the World
n a global level – these youth feel that borders no
longer bind them ey are generally well travelled
having been to urope the ustralasia and
other parts of sia ey are constantly connected
to the world via the internet and constantly

8. “Success for me is very
clear cut – split into public
success and private
success. To me someone
is only successful if he hanging
has achieved both. e nitions
Public success is easy of uccess
to recognize, when
Oppo- you’ve made it in terms
e ew uccess and the validation and
acceptance of failure express the most extreme
manifestation of the new mindset of young
of your career, wealth,
ingapore n order to understand this new version
of success it is important to acknowledge the myth
site:
of typical ingapore success e much talked
about s credit card country club condo car
status and friends. Private cash seemed to be the calling card of success in
older generations longside this stable careers
such as doctor lawyer engineer accountant and
in the sense that you
the like were the typical and conventional ways to
Sencai
success and a materially wealthy professional life
have a healthy family life,
ingapore online entrepreneur aniel writes in
his blog adly society defines success as material
success st class honours cholarship s
igh net worth t s a sad but true facet of society
your family loves each
must say it has been ingrained in ingapore which
has a winner takes all mentality
other, you have a good
ese routes to success seem old fashioned to
modern ingaporean youth ore than simply
a reaction to the old conventions the growth
of new ideas of success and lifestyle is rooted
relationship with your in this generation s sense of self ey are not
ingaporean in the same way as their parents
– they feel they are citizens of the world they
spouse and children.”
no longer feel bound by typical ingaporean
boundaries physical or ideological
- Zachary
outh express a need for simpler less hurried life
more relaxed and filled with true and worthy
experiences with family friends and partners
ey want to enjoy a life that has a balance of
professional and personal success year old
laire ei studying in ustralia blogs feel the
world is so concerned about getting ahead of each
other that no one stops and thinks of the simple
things like a home cooked dinner with your family
members
e move away from typical material success
is signified by a need for greater intellectual
stimulation and emotional fulfillment greater
need to enjoy a well rounded life and a need for
fulfilling human interaction oney and material
objects are recognized as important but a life
balance is desired and actively pursued
Opposite: encai

9. “We have
plans to
expand to
Hong Kong,
China and
Australia.”
ntrepreneureal pirit - Daniel
“We focus
long with the desire for a more open inclusive be good if something new and interesting could be
and balanced life more and more young introduced into ingapore
ingaporeans feel the need to start their own
on trying
businesses e entrepreneurial spirit is alive and New business models
thriving in these young people – they are full of ew business models being formed with to the
ideas and inspiration and see avenues that are expansion of new industries in particular the
fresh unique and exciting nspiration comes from internet nline businesses offer a multitude of
overseas or from their intense interest in their
passions
opportunities for the young entrepreneur – business
are easy to set up have little or no overhead costs
can be run hours a day on a very small staff if
to get
hundreds
ere are three very practical and attractive forces not only one person and are accessible to millions
that are pushing the strong entrepreneurial spirit in of people across the globe
young ingapore
and
hether it s online gaming online retail or
A Talented Bunch making yourself into a super blogger online
is group feels they are talented ey want the opportunities are ripe with opportunity –
express themselves show their skill in a public particularly in a country where broadband
forum and make a living from their passion
living that drives them beyond material and
financial gain is is in line with the new mindset
connections and speeds are technically superior
and young ingaporeans are taking advantage of
them nline fashion retailing is a particularly thousands
of people
that they have adopted and also to do with the fertile area – with ingapore based e boutiques
changing view on success it s not as simple – nor as incorporating a number of international labels
dull – as becoming a high earner anymore year regularly advertising and garnering local and
old i ing a graduating raphic esign student international clientele ak sg and eebonz com
at a alle ollege and design entrepreneur blogs
e reason set up my own business was because
are examples of a new way of boutique shopping
managed out of ingapore
onto our
game…
didn t want to live the life was living at n a new and very modern twist of fate the regular
was working in a dull advertising agency which process of a real life business taking itself online
made designers create advertising layouts that came has been reversed ow in ingapore and beyond
we were
with strict requirements decided to break the online blog retailers have moved offline to provide
monotonous working life routine at that point real life service in real time in real stores multi
label clothing store in cott s oad s ar ast laza
Carving their niche called the est of logshops hosts several online
e existing industries – especially in ingapore
– don t offer enough variety and scope and young
ingaporeans are excited to expand the horizons of
stores that have surfaced in real life urther proof
that online businesses are sustainable profitable
multi faceted career options for young people on Channel
News Asia.”
what already exists e industry size in ingapore
is partly an issue of scale – the country is simply ame is a stock market type online game which has
not large enough to accommodate creative been developed into a business by s ingaporean
- Keith
industries comparable to those in larger uropean entrepreneur allowing friends to buy and sell
or merican cities stocks of each other it s fun and profitable and
once again illustrates a bright idea needs and
oung minds are always looking for inspiration deserves attention in order for it to bloom
and as such there seems to be a gap to fill year
old ollette blogs m thinking of opening up my Opposite: eith s online gaming business
own patisserie or dessert bar ere aren t many
patisseries and bars in ingapore and ingaporeans
are always game to try something new it would

10. “Given the
chance to
go overseas
of course
I would go
overseas…
I’m curious oreign xposure
about a city I
haven’t seen
hile ingapore is largely seen as a good place to
grow with family young ingaporeans are curious ne such area is dance encai coming to the
n some ways curiosity is a little more intense for end of his secondary school education hopes to
before.”
ingaporeans because they are constantly exposed apply to the ong ong cademy of erforming
to the world outside their physical and ideological rts in order to fulfill his passion of becoming
island through the media – in particular the a professional ballet dancer e feels that the
internet well travelled family members and friends vocational ballet education in ingapore is of a
- Sencai ere are of course different drivers for interest in
foreign countries an interest purely in the cultural
and creative aspects an interest in education and
lower caliber than that of world renowned
and further – needs overseas exposure in order to
dance professionally in ingapore e says
environment in ingapore still not there so you
e
the experience of studying in a different country cant learn many things for example in ingapore
and for those at the right life stage – an interest allet cademy you need to go overseas before
in the business and professional opportunities becoming a company dancer but overseas there are
overseas the academy schools and if you do well you can
move straight into the company when u complete
Culture auditions
e thrill of visiting the world s mega cities ew
ork ondon and okyo is bolstered by the Professional
myths surrounding them that they offer a unique or those already in the working stage of their
vibrant and eclectic mix of activities in food art lives the opportunity to work overseas or simply
design architecture and social life urther they experience a taste of a different lifestyle is a potent
offer the general buzz of big cities that are so driver to spread their wings and literally fly
unlike ingapore e weather the scale and the
sheer variety of new things to do in other places or some the experience of living and working
are a big draw card there is invaluable in terms of exposing themselves
to the standards of creative work in other countries
n some cases the history of a place makes it all in particular if they feel industry in ingapore is
the more worth seeing in other cases it s the call not that well developed n example of this is
of nature for some it s the buzz of a modern fashion hile ingapore has a fashion culture
city year old iki blogs ondon left a big the influence of merican and uropean trends on
impression on me love the architecture like global fashion and style cannot be underestimated
t auls or estminster the history behind it the az ashion ditor of magazine talks
modernity just all the little things on the street the culture of fashion overseas versus that in
like the buskers and such laire has a different ingapore ew orker will never step out
viewpoint d love to trek through the humid wearing shorts and flip flops it s like designer flip
rainforest or perhaps on the dusty plains of flops or make the effort to make sure you look
frica to watch lions prowl and hippos bathe good quirk is frowned upon here
Education s such inspiration and standards of fashion are
ducation overseas is probably the most important higher in other countries and in order for her to
aspect of foreign exposure n some cases ingapore flourish and expand her skills set it s ideal for her
simply does not offer the kind of specialized to work overseas particularly in one of the fashion
education that some youth need to progress into capitals of the world like ew ork
their professional careers n some cases specific
tertiary courses are not offered locally in other Opposite: ew ork by az
cases courses offered overseas are considered of a
higher caliber than local courses – in particular in
some very specialized areas

11. “My dad gives
me support
when I want
to do music
– he says:
“Let him be
y amily, y oots happy and
do something
he can
hile many of this new generation s values seem enters like the ingapore chool of the rts
outward looking and self focused there is a very and ingapore ports chool offer
stable and secure grounding for their confidence clear and practical ways for youth to engage in their
appreciate.”
and in some cases – their incredible drive to excel creative or alternative passions while ensuring that
their families they are working on more regular and stable future
options as well
e value of family feels like one of the oldest and
most traditional set of values to hold it also feels
the most modern and contemporary as it still
fundamentally affects the way in which these young
or youth their parents belief and encouragement
means the most to them t is the ultimate
validation and it s no surprise that some of the most My dad is
awesome!”
people make their decisions determined and optimistic of this youth group have
encouraging and progressive parents
amily is the backbone of their lives and even
arpal
- Narpal
though they might not agree with their parents Opposite:
views they ultimately make decisions with their
parents and sometimes broader family interests in
mind ilial piety is natural to sian society and
while young ingapore is intently focused on their
dream and forging their way forward they are in
no way denying their rightful duties as children
nor do they wish to
hat feels the most modern about the family
value is that it is slowly expanding and growing
broader and less rigid in scope long with their
children parents are also changing their view on
life and their attitude towards alternative and
different career paths and interests hile parents
are not changing immediately there is a sense from
general research and even in youths minds that
their parents are less rigid than they had previously
thought n some cases it seems like one parent is
positive and open while the other is more cautious
and strict but it is natural that they want their
children to have a bright and stable future
arents are in the unique and difficult position
where they have to span two worlds one the world
they grew up in with the values that were instilled
in them when ingapore was a very different place
e other world is the modern world of their
children where things have changed drastically and
where they need to adopt new ways of thinking in
order to understand their children s passions and
motivations
omething which feels emergent and also
bolsters parents more progressive thinking is the
encouragement and legitimization by the broader
establishment of more alternative ways of thinking

12. “I feel whatever you
do, you should give
back to society... I
would come back
to be an instructor,
to educate and
teach dance... iving ack
or have a school.”
- Sencai
hat feels like the most emergent and surprising
value in the new youth mindset is their sense of
civic responsibility one that is indicative of them
looking at themselves as part of a broader society
and taking into account their own responsibility
and actions and the consequences thereof
is new value is the urge to give back to society
n several instances the interviewees have
mentioned that even though they d like or need
to travel overseas they d like to return to ingapore
to give something back to the society here is is
not a simple act of charity but matches well with
the new entrepreneurial and open minded spirit
that this group have t is also an extension of their
wish for a more balanced life that fact that they
want to help other achieve the balance that they
themselves are planning for n the act of giving
back to their home country there seems to be a
higher order more noble need which indicates a
reverse of typical older values of self sufficiency and
material wealth
ractically they envision this type of contribution
as being a part of their entrepreneurial efforts
oming back to ingapore to establish businesses
and then in some way contribute through their
skills to society and in particular to the new and
younger generations is is particularly relevant to
those who want a future in an industry that is only
growing in ingapore – environmental concerns
dance or culinary arts
f anything the emergence of this entirely new
value shows that the youth of ingapore are indeed
a progressive and self aware group who do have
their roots in their home country and have a vested
interest not only in their own futures but in the
futures of those around them
Opposite: ng oh io econdary chool

14. “The best thing
about Singapore
would be security,
the worst is our
ungraciousness.”
- Daniel
ingapore, ome & ore...
“Despite its
ow does this young generation who are so
globalised and forward thinking relate to their
home country of ingapore t s all too easy to
suppressive
imagine their view as either deadly negative but
as with their mindset their view of the country not
a polarized one they look at ingapore in a way
which is much more nuanced and colorful ith
elements that are positive and negative – neither
side being entirely separate from the other
nature, I truly
believe that our
t makes sense that a generation who are open
indeed and globalised will not see their country as
an entity within itself but rather in comparison
and contrast to other places and different ideologies
around them and then rather than accept or reject
naturally meld these different influences together to
arrive at their own view of ingapore
government is
ne topic that continuously referenced is the
ingaporean government hile there is a lot the best in the
world. Our leaders
of talk about controlling role that it plays in
ingapore society there is no doubt that its efforts
are recognised and appreciated by its youth
e government is largely seen through the
lens of the infrastructures that it creates and
maintains healthcare education safety and have foresight,
tact and wisdom.
security environmental consciousness political
and economic stability e youth are well versed
enough with the world through direct or indirect
exposure to understand that these infrastructures
are rare and even rarer when combined in one
country ey are appreciative of and encouraged
by the stability they see around them and this
They recognise
pressing needs in
creates a good base for their expansive and curious
attitude and also creates a good reason for them to
want to return to their home
verall there is a large amount of goodwill towards
ingapore it s a place where youth feel comfortable
safe and well taken care off t s a stable base from
the country and
which they feel they can reach their goals o put
a finer point on it there are different aspects of
ingapore that evoke these responses ome are address them
promptly.”
more clinical other responses are more emotive
but all are nuanced
- Zachary

15. “I feed you, you vomit you get an ‘A’.”
- Narpal
“I’d never put my children through an
education system like that.”
- Keith
arriers
hile goodwill towards the ingapore exists there e pressure mounts to such an extent that some
are definitely elements seen as potential barriers of the more restless and under achieving turn to e kiasu spirit of the country comes up again and
for engagement with ingapore on the longer rebellion and possibly worse year old eith again the emphasis on material goods the s and
term ome of barriers are experienced in specific says a win at all costs mindset all point out moded
situations or in specific industries others seen a values that youth feel out of touch with and they
general societal traits and just the way it is n e education system was o as say and get come under severe criticism year old achary
either case these are elements that deter or at worst grades don t want to put my kids through that blogs
crush the passions of young ingaporeans education t s very pressurizing at one point
in time was contemplating suicide in primary do acknowledge the fact that the odds were
Schooling school think in ingapore in kids think of against us and we overcame it and am proud
e education system is the one aspect that that that was when was or years old but am sometimes also ashamed of the way
continually comes under fire from youth – rimary ery extreme ingaporeans behave often find myself
academic streaming in schools the intense pressure subconsciously placing myself in the shoes of
to win at all costs and the fact that from a young ere is a feeling that there needs to be less foreigners what must they think of our inglish
age their futures are dictated by the type of school emphasis on marks and exams more on our running for the s when the door isn t even
they attend and the kind of marks and points they experiential learning year old arpal speaks opened yet our poor service our unwillingness to
are able to earn e pressure to succeed seems about his vision of learning and education lots go the extra mile for a stranger nd it paints a very
to have reached dramatic proportions and there of independent schools are prying away from the ugly side of ingapore that unfortunately am not
is a lot of dissatisfaction with the way in which education system as it s too rigid feed you you proud of
educational institutions operate since the emphasis vomit you get an in my school they don t feed
of the current education system seems to be more you they want to see effort and resourcing aniel commiserates e only thing would like
on attaining a grade then necessarily understanding you need to be a resourceful individual in the real to change about ingapore is the kiasu spirit that
the value of a lesson rom a young age youth are world no one will give you jack shit is prevalent in almost all ingaporeans t seems
streamed into different academic streams and only to be ingrained in our psyche from young think
the ones in the highest streams will realistically be hile this seems to be opening up now with the this spirit brings with it much stress and stifles
able to get into a good junior college and therefore arrival of and and a seemingly new creativity
into a university system of education in epublic olytechnic which
encourages education in a different manner and the t s easy to think that this group of youth seem
ne real life indication of this is the amount of opportunity to follow more creative paths there is to want to isolate themselves from ingaporean
time spent on schoolwork and in tuition outside of a distinct dissatisfaction with the regular schooling behaviour but it s less about the people and more
school longside regular schoolwork scholars have system as it stands because the entire system seems about the things which they value in life which are
to deal with extra tuition s and sometimes to be geared towards more old fashioned values less materialistic and more and more about quality
independent extra activities like the race to make money and leading a fulfilling life
year old lya expresses her dissatisfaction ven Broader Society Opposite: eith s report book
if you re really smart your parents will push you to e view on ingaporean societal behaviour is
be smarter in ingapore it s like that m not very a negative one outh are able to easily discern
happy about it but it s to a point where it s so between the efficient and first world infrastructure
important to excel in your studies ou go to school and the rather basic behaviour of the citizens of
from am to pm choolwork tuition then piano ingapore and while they freely admit that people
and ballet it s tiring is lifestyle is common f are ingapore s greatest resource those very people
you have nglish aths and cience tuition its are the ones who seem to tarnish the image of
like it comes with school and it follows through ingapore
and when you go up you go to secondary school
if u don t have tuition you re lost ou don t know ese people seem to be of an older generation
what to do because you re so used to being guided or those with lower education levels or simply
buy this rd person you don t know how to study those who have a less global and liberal mindset on
by yourself and take notes uition is spoon other words – not this generation of open minded
feeding young people

16. “I covered 14 cities
last year! Shanghai,
Beijing, Madrid,
Berlin, Hamburg,
Amsterdam...
In December and
lobality
January I went
to Australia, and
in March this
iewing themselves on the world stage is not hard
for these young people s the world gets smaller
through technology and due to the fact that many
year I went to
of them have already travelled they are aware of
themselves as citizens of the global village
number of factors contribute to this one of
the main factors being that ingapore has always
outwardly positioned itself as a world class country
one which is future facing international and Barcelona.”
- Faz
well connected to sia and the rest of the world
urrent mass communications – the push towards
better nglish language usage and the more recent
push for speaking andarin further strengthen
this idea e emphasis that ingapore places on
securing talent from overseas and the amount of
skilled foreign workers in ingapore all contribute
to a feeling that their country is on the global stage
e modern fact of ease of travel affordable airfares
and ingapore s effective and efficient connections
to other parts of the world make travel seem easy
and accessible to many young people this almost
eradicated borders and making the world smaller
and smaller
e internet is a further contributor to this state
of mind e world is radically different for this
generation than for any before them as the furthest
reaches of their imagination are captured in the
internet with no time or geographical constraints
ey feel connected to global youth culture
through their computer screens and even talking
to family and friends who live far away is as easy as
activating an application
is global state of mind is a sign of modern times
and means that ingaporean youth are on par with
the most advanced and proactive youth in the
world ready to take on the global challenges
Opposite: achary with classmates in witzerland

17. “The best thing
about Singapore
is the sense of
rootedness.”
- Claire
“The government pringboard & agn
is also pretty
pro-family, due
aking into account the different elements of
ingapore – the positives such as the infrastructure
and the elements that are more difficult for youth
to our declining
to deal with such as the education systems and
general societal attitudes it s clear that ingapore is
both a springboard and a magnet
birthrate, and springboard in that it is able to nurture youth
through stable and secure infrastructures and
family life to the point where they are ready to face
hence it would
the wider world and feel confident in themselves
and their abilities and skills to compete on a
broader scale
definitely be ideal magnet in that there are always the elements that
draw youth back to ingapore amily is a large
part of this but more than family the feeling that
to raise a family
ingapore is a home and a place to make a future in
their career making their own families and making
a place for themselves in a place where they know
in a country that
they are welcome
side from the infrastructures and family playing
an important role there is an emergent feeling that
encourages ingapore itself is changing in terms of it s strict
laws and policies and encouraging a greater sense
of inclusivity and liberal thought laire blogs
families... I’ll f ever were to start a family ingapore would
be a place to bring one up ot only is it safe
believe our education system is one of the best
definitely return to especially now since the government is revamping
primary education to include less tests and exams
and instead encouraging exploration into many
Singapore once I
different areas of interest a child may have feel
that this would lead to a future generation of
ingaporeans more aware of the world around them
am ready to start
and more proactive in things that are happening
in the world n the future can only envision
ingapore becoming an even greater place to raise
a family
a family.” ere is a positivity in the youth for the most
part they are not looking to escape ingapore but
- Zachary
simply spread their wings fly and experience life
knowing they have a safe place to return to

18. “Frankly speaking, I
think studying in SMU is
even more competitive
than studying in any
universities in China.”
– Xinyue
oreign er e ive
hile ingaporeans are excited to travel live
“I would definitely
set up a business in
or work overseas to improve their skills or
simply to experiment ingapore provides that
experience to youth from other countries e
Singapore... the laws
stable infrastructures cleanliness and efficiency of
ingapore coupled with the nglish as the social
and business language make ingapore a good
choice for foreign sians for study and education
hile local youth continuously compare ingapore
to overseas countries in terms of the rather staid and regulations here are
not as complicated as
local mindset ingapore provides this more liberal
experience for foreigners year old onco an
ndonesian student studying locally blogs
ocial life in ingapore is more open as compare
to other countries in outh ast sia especially
ndonesia or instance in terms of homosexuality
other countries. More
straight-forward and less
ingaporeans are more open as compared to my
local ndonesians friends at is one of the reason
why should say that this country is already on
corrupt.”
the modern level as they are more open minded to
certain things that still considered taboo in other
countries
e competitive edge in the ingapore education
and professional areas which is seen by locals as a
largely negative is a big draw card for foreigners
who feel that their own home countries might not
– Ponco
provided such a rigorous or competitive edge to
business or study ese foreign students feel that
they are being prepared well for a competitive and
increasingly globalised workplace
inyue a hinese student studying in blogs
lthough it is very difficult to get high grades my
study here is not bad think the system here makes
it more difficult to fail than to score well s long
as put in some effort and pay attention in class
won t fail owever am always trying to get a
better result
n the longer term future they feel that due to
ingapore s strict business practices less corruption
encouragement of entrepreneurship and ways of
working establishing a business locally is at least a
viable if not a totally desirable option for them
pposite
op hinese student inyue
ottom ndonesian student onco

20. eir tories...
s a way of understanding this target thoroughly
it s useful to think of them in terms of different
typologies – types of people depending on their
experience and current circumstances
or this research it s useful to understand youth in
terms of the paths they have taken in their lives
either educationally or professionally ore than
their paths though it s useful to understand from
a business perspective how and why they have
made the decisions that they have made arious
factors have contributed for example to youth
studying overseas or in some case why they have
not followed their passions and in some cases why
they have been so confident in following their
dreams ach typology and indeed each different
case has specific drivers and barriers e following
section is intended to expose the specific drivers
and barriers for the most relevant cases in each of
the different typologies by presenting the story of
a real life ingaporean who is on creating their own
future by making decision in the present
ere are four different typologies identified
ragmatists ptimists reamers and
orchbearers
Pragamati s
outh who have passions and dreams of careers
in alternative fields but have chosen for various
reasons to take a more conventional path in their
lives sometimes to the total exclusion of their
original passion
Optimi s
ose who have taken a more practical path than
their original passion but who plan to return to
that dream from a different and more realistic
angle
Dreamers
ose who have their sights set on their more
alternative career goals and are actively and
practically planning a way to achieve it
Torchbearers
ose who have already achieved a career path
which is relatively alternative in a ingaporean
context

21. syikin - ragm t
year old syikin is currently taking a gap year aturally part of the thrill of taking up the
and interning as a journalist in a media company scholarship is to experience life outside of
in ingapore he is the recipient of a prestigious ingapore which she considers a safe but small
ingaporean scholarship and is going to study a and boring place e regularity and routine
business related degree in ew ork niversity seems boring and she wants is eager to experience
next year owever her passion lies in singing and life outside even though she cannot necessarily
the performing arts imagine what it might be like only that it s like
ingapore but times better
hile she is genuinely interested in business
studies and in journalism it seem that right now true pragmatist syikin is taking a practical
she is doing all that she can to explore the world of route urged by her family and scholarship he
arts and performance doing small acting pieces in is also excited to leave ingapore to get a taste of
a piece for ingapore ational ay promotional life in ew ork t seems that syikin s beliefs in
materials taking part in her secondary school herself are relatively conservative she doesn t really
drama club and their performances taking private consider herself very liberal is coupled with
singing lessons which she pays for herself and fulfilling her practical concerns and the lack of
going to casting calls even though she has to hide well developed arts scene in ingapore means that
it from her parents she will likely put her dream aside
syikin admits she comes from a very conservative
family and as such they expect her to follow a
secure and stable career path take advantage of the
opportunities on offer and study in regular and
practical degree he says of her parents ey
have high hopes of me to get this prestigious
scholarship syikin herself is concerned about
her future and doesn t see much of an arts scene in
ingapore even if this is a career path that she wants
to pursue
aking up her scholarship means is the natural
thing to do my parents have worked so hard she
says might as well do it owever this means
that she will have to take a more regular type of
study in and as such she ll have to mostly
leave the performing arts behind though she
hopes to get him to do this outside of her studying
activities in ew ork and perhaps afterwards
back in ingapore want to so musical theatre
combine singing and dancing want to combine
as many different experiences as possible don t to
miss out
syikin sees this gap year as crucial to her life in
that it might be the last chance she has to really
explore her passion and indulge in singing acting
and performance before knuckling down the
serious business of studying overseas and fulfilling
hers and her family s practical hopes for her future

22. achary - ptim t
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u molestie eleifend per nec et persius deseruisse
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er at mazim nominavi tincidunt brute appareat ccumsan conceptam deseruisse sea cu ui
detraxit te quo falli ignota voluptatibus ei ius legere option vidisse ut ex pri utinam inimicus
reprehendunt porteat apeirian forensibus ut
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zzril nullam commune at doctus accumsan ipsum erant instructior ius an obis equidem
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deseruisse ex elit simul eos u ullum lobortis
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utroque ocibus eligendi ei eam tempor volutpat instructior eum cu e eam cibo semper audiam
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malorum consetetur dissentias per uto populo inani semper electram id nam
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scribentur intellegebat dicit soleat usu in vim ex sensibus similique te sit
minim laudem as odio equidem eu ius iuvaret
mentitum temporibus ut

23. encai - reamer
year old encai is in his final year in ng oh one of the most prestigious performing arts schools
io secondary school and his passion is dance in sia the ong ong cademy of erforming
encai started out at years old doing hip hop rts e is hoping to apply for the
dance as an extra curricular activity t that time prestigious ational rts ouncil scholarship in
he took part in a number of different performances ingapore in order to help achieve his dream of
slowing moving from hip hop dance to modern overseas study side fro that he had a back up
dance finally settling into classical ballet encai plan also influences by his mentor – that is to
is currently a student at ingapore allet study various physiotherapy or related studies in
cademy and eagerly taking junior roles in order to bolster his involvement with performing
professional productions of ballet classics such arts and physical training
as ingapore ance eatre s e utcracker
inderella and wan ake encai has a well rounded view of his future and is
eagerly anticipating it rom a family point of view
encai also trains in ballet at his school where his parents are encouraging his interest in dance
his mentor – whom he describes affectionately with the caution that his academics must be kept at
as his brother – esper guides him through the a high standard so that he has more choices for his
training and discipline he needs in order to become future hile his family doesn t know much about
a professional ballet dancer esper has had an dance or even the performing arts encai s mentor
incredible influence on encai s development as has stepped in and encouraged him to plan well for
a dancer – providing not only the guidelines for his future to try and achieve his dreams
training but also information and a professional
insight into the industry and education systems encai hopes to return to ingapore after a stint
esper himself is a retired ballet dancer who studied overseas to teach and perhaps establish a school
in ondon and then ustralia and has returned to here where he can help young dancers to achieve
ingapore to teach again t is under his influence their dreams
that encai is able to expose himself to the world
of ballet outside of ingapore enabling encai to
immerse himself in the world of ballet via outube
and his own online research in the ballet greats like
ikhail aryshnikov
side from inspiration and under is mentor s
influence encai is also able to search online to
concretise his future plans encai is in the special
situation where it is essential for him to study
overseas in order to achieve his dream
e environment in ingapore still not there so
cant learn many things for example n ingapore
allet cademy you need to go overseas before
becoming a company dance but overseas there
are academy schools and if u do well u can move
straight into the company when u complete
auditions
e appeal of going overseas is really twofold
for curiosity and general cultural exposure as
well as for professional and educational reasons
but overseas education is expensive and requires
preparation and finances encai has his eyes set on

24. “I feel I’m a very special person
doing things that people don’t
normally do...”
- Sencai

25. lya - reamer
lya dreams of becoming a chef – it is a passion stopped cooking at home and cook at untie
she has held dear sine a young age and one which ora s house um doesn t like me using her
she is firmly working towards year old lya has kitchen don t know if it s her pride but it just
just finished unior ollege and is taking a gap doesn t work out for her want to learn her
year in order to work as a barrister earn and save recipes traditional cooking eranakan food cook
money and work towards her future plans he has alay food
a decidedly self described un ingaporean take
on education ike many in the alternative or creative arts fields
lya is well aware that overseas study will benefit her
ve had enough of the books want the much more than local study and that the standards
experience was so excited to go to work doing and reputation of foreign culinary schools are more
something other that studying oesn t mean ve globally recognized and the training more rigorous
studied enough but just right now don t want than what she can find in ingapore nder untie
to do that know if want to be a chef need to ora s encouragement lya is now looking to apply
be in the kitchen learning new things f really for a prestigious unrice ulinary rts scholarship
want to do this then need to do what need to which does part of heir training locally and part
do overseas he describes unrice as her stepping
stone to overseas etermined to get into the
lya s father is a strong believer in independence program she also plans to add to her application
and this he has been a guiding light in her life – credentials and apprentice locally with regionally
from the fact that she didn t have a tutor in school acclaimed chef ustin ow
and managed her exams independently to the fact
that she is now working hard to achieve her dream lya hopes to return to ingapore and open her own
of becoming a recognized chef ood is her passion restaurant describing it as a place where she cold
as she explains cook anything that her patrons want they just have
to request it
ooking just makes me so happy when people eat
my food and like it it feels like an achievement
full course and people are full it makes me just
happy ood food has to be healthy and balanced
like protein etc cant have too many carbs n a
meal always think of balance and not feeling very
full after that ust nice read a lot of cookbooks
a whole selection ones e rocer has a mega
selection and borrow them to read at home and
get inspired and just want to create my own
thing
espite any reservations her family might have
about her chosen career lya is determined to give
it a try and is encouraged by a friend s mom she
affectionately calls untie ora untie ora has
constantly provided support for lya believing in
her talent and urging her to go further and explore
her passion for food to the point where she even
let s lya cook in her kitchen when she cannot do
so at home
t home my mom uses the kitchen so if anyone
goes in it never comes out right to her so

26. “I don’t want to be
25 and not doing
what I want...
I want be in a
kitchen or catering
business by then!”
- Ilya

27. ei - orchbearer
eith is a year old e entrepreneur who has actualisation and personal achievement than success
co founded his online gaming company woozh for public acclaim e admires the estern
with his ndonesian business partner e most well ways of life which he feels are more free and
known aspect of eith s business is his online stock creative than the culture of ingapore e more
market game ame where friends are able to trade conservative mindset is even present in his home
themselves and each other as stocks and earn points
online e idea started as a project for a local y mom believes in using her hands to do her
bank where he was working freelance as a project work rather than using brains to get something
manager developing an online trading application that other people can understand a practical
for the bank s use e idea took off and eith reason why they she doesn t think can make a
was able to secure funding from ingapore living out of it
anagement niversity as well as an offer of
office space in which to set up his business ith eith is hopeful about the future and about the
further funding eith is now looking to expand his way ingapore is moving he believes that when he
business more globally with his eye on the becomes a parent with his life experience – that
he ll be more open minded with his children e is
t s quite a success story for a young man who positive about the systems in place at that he
describes himself as a delinquent says allow project grades to contribute substantially
towards the final grade unlike systems on other
rew up as a delinquent as really lazy in sec universities where the exams mark counts the most
school so was hanging out with ah bengs play lots
of football was in track and field did sports grew eith has made his dream come true even when
up not following rules faced with the toughest odds e has succeeded by
taking advantage of ingapore s growing and
eith s story is a rags to riches one and he is online business culture and applying his creativity
the odd exception e describes himself as a to head a flourishing business which is so much
late bloomer and as such his experience in the more than a mere computer game
strict ingaporean schooling system was less than
encouraging n primary school eith was streamed
into the highest academic stream due to his
high academic record but as a lazy student and
facing constant pressure with the academic load
he was punished constantly and increasingly he
became demoralised
was contemplating suicide in primary school
n econdary chool realized didn t need to deal
with this was second last one on the whole level
just threw myself see how badly behaved was
as a kid when was in sec or or years
old that was when was streamed again n ec
and was in the last class again in my level and
that was where all the semi delinquents were
eith s turnaround came when he was able to really
explore an area like – where he felt creative
and capable and less restricted than he had in his
school years urther his exposure to foreign ways
of life – visits to urope and the helped
legitimize his views on life which are closer to self

28. “I also founded a company for
retail, sellig MP3’s… that was
when I started enjoying my
achievements... it pushes
me and keeps me on
my game.”

29. az - orchbearer
az full name azilla is the year old fashion and open and people express their creativity in any
editor of magazine she is responsible for number of ways – in art graffiti film food and
the fashion look and feel of the magazine which fashion he hopes to get an opportunity to work
includes styling fashion shoots picking models in the in particular in ew ork ity where
and locations writing and sourcing items aving the fashion industries are well developed and home
started out as a freelancer working on a project to the most inspirational fashion imagery and
by project basis for local magazines like uice magazines in the world
atalogue and hape az has managed to carve
herself a sizable reputation in the local industry hile she has managed to achieve a relatively
and it was a pleasant surprise when she was asked good position in ingapore az still feels that at
to be fashion editor for this new and stylish men s this young age she would benefit immensely from
magazine exposure to a more developed and mature fashion
and creative industry such as those in urope or
hile az studied journalism she has always tried the
to do her best to follow her dreams and with a little
luck and a lot of effort she has managed to find a
fulfilling career in fashion owever the path to
success was not without its difficulties some of
which have stemmed from the conservative views of
her family in terms of her work
ere was an issue with freelancing eople ask my
father what am doing and he would say he is
doing part time or he doesn t have a job yet
think it is also security my parents have been used
to a life where people go to work and freelancing is
something that do from home eir generation is
different perception and they are used to something
else they don t want to change
nd her social life
tell my friends that if my parents knew half the
things do outside of the house they would ship
me away to audi rabia and send me to some
uslim nunnery and they are hardcore
espite the perception gap between herself and
her parents she is still perseveres in her chosen
career though admits that it is somewhat of an
uphill battle in ingapore e conservative nature
of the general population means that their sense of
fashion and in the broader sense their creativity
is quite limited and as such she feels the need for
foreign exposure
az is an avid traveler – as she is eager for exposure
to different cultures in particular more artistic and
immersive way of life urope and the are her
favorite locations – where the culture is more free

30. “A New Yorker wouldn’t step out
wearing shorts and flip flops,
it’d be like designer flip
flops or make effort
to make sure look
good… quirk - here
in Singapore - is
frowned upon.”