Singapore is the rising Tech Heaven

Singapore Skyline

Over a hundred years ago, this was a mud-flat swamp. Today this is a modern city. Ten years from now, this will be a metropolis. Never fear.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

In the eyes of the world, the very idea of a Smart Nation may seem frightful. Indeed, we have to understand that cultural differences, and of course the prominent status of Singapore which is unimaginable to 95% of the world’s countries, draws a certain number of questions. Number one of them is, of course, the privacy.

Starting from the thought of a constant connection between institutions, all services and people individually (and please don’t mind me mentioning the fact that I am a foreigner) the initiative may seem intrusive as it is intriguing. So we, the foreigners, unfamiliar with the crucial differences, may ask questions that to a moderately informed person from Singapore may seem redundant. Since this hub has a large number of foreigners as well, I want to express and underline important facts that will help them comprehend why this project is destined for the South Asia territory, and even more, how they can, almost as well as every citizen of Singapore, benefit from this Tech-Heaven Rising.

The opening quote from the late and honorable Mr. Lee Kuan Yew may be observed as the very indicator of what the world can expect from Singapore: sincerity, as the leading factor of its modus operandi. Indeed, Singapore is a metropolis today, and the projection of its growth wasn’t politically endorsed, on the contrary, it was a simple report based on the facts. On the opposite side, the entire world’s population is often misled by the indefinite statements of their governments’ officials, trusting them to deal with the matters hardly comprehended by the majority of the population. When presented with the issue, or a promise, this average person believes that they are hearing an expert’s opinion, and that veil of mystery provides a certain “playing ground” where corruption and immodesty thrives. As Albert Einstein said:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

While an average person, from an average country, is concentrated on doing his, or her, part of the work right and in all honesty, the government is presenting its own work in an oversimplified, often ambiguous approach. Believe it or not, some of them are even corrupted and untruthful. This kind of thinking led to the state of the economy as we are witnessing today, and feel free to dispute the following statement in the comments, but Singapore is the perfect example that all that we need to thrive and prosper is honesty. The government of Singapore always remained truthful, transparent and respectful towards its citizens. We will elaborate further on this, but let’s address the factor of transparency first.

How hard will it be for a transparent government, a transparent city and a transparent country, to endorse transparent connections? Singapore is one of the least corrupted countries in the world, and as stated in the Global Competitiveness report from World Economic Forum 2014-2015, Singapore is the leading country when it comes to transparency of government policymaking. This status is well earned and dictating further progress and development, and is influential from its roots to the very tips of the branches spreading, and as a result we have an application MyConnection SG on our devices, allowing us to directly involve in this transparent way of living in every possible way. In fact, one of the biggest problems of the government is to provide an adequate health care through the Smart Nation model, helping elderly to understand the technology provided.

For those readers who are not familiar with the Smart Nation project, if there are any, the main idea is the implementation of an integrated 3D map, containing all data that might involve surroundings, buildings and land. If there is a country equipped and ready for this type of innovation, it is definitely Singapore, as a tech harbor for many serious Startup companies, rushing to this valiant land of advancement and prosperity. As promised, we will now elaborate further on governmental and institutional endorsements, and the respect Singapore offers to its future opportunities and individuals interested in technological modernization.

Influencing the future

The speech delivered by the NUS President and Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, which is available here, is a lecture about what Singapore is focused on and what it should be focusing on in the future, regarding success of the students and their contribution to the country’s development. The main factors include singular and powerful emphasis on talent, continual educational innovation, building global research peaks, and overtaking leading positions through strategic partnerships with top institutions on a local and on a global level.

This doesn’t mean that you would get an opportunity to attend studies in NUS based only on your high grades. On the contrary, Professor Tan Chorch Chuan is insisting on imagination before knowledge, similarly as previously quoted Albert E. But if you don’t mind me sharing this insight provided from a third point of perspective, the method of conducting actual studies as executed by the NUS, is the key reason that makes the future generations ingenious when it comes to innovations and expansion.